


Connected Souls

by AwesomeMango7



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: (tags will be updated), A LOT of Angst, Blood, Confusion, Cores, Crime Fighting, Danny ice core, Danny’s Parents are Oblivious AF, Dates, Dubious Consent, Emotional Slow Burn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fake Science, Fatherly Clockwork, Fighting, Fluff, Ghost soulmates, Hurt/Comfort, Its kind of dubious consent from both ends, Jazz is in college, Let Danny Curse, M/M, One-sided Sam/Danny, Or a doctor, Phantom Planet was TRASH, Screw Phantom Planet, Shame, Smut, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Their cores make them feel weird, Tucker and Danny have a platonic Bromance, Tucker is a good friend, Vlad Fire core, Vlad Redemption, Vlad trying to be good, ahhhgh, cursing, dude I just love Clockwork, i aint a scientist, i cant believe i actually wrote this, i guess, its not just smut even though it starts that way, like right from the start there’s smut, sam is too but they have some issues, so I’m making stuff up as a go on the whole science aspect, some violence, there’s a plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:35:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 67,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwesomeMango7/pseuds/AwesomeMango7
Summary: A fight between Danny and Vlad takes a very sudden and drastic turn, and the two of them are left struggling for answers. Now they have to figure out how to navigate the new direction their relationship has taken.(Soulmate AU)
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Clockwork, Danny Fenton & Frostbite, Danny Fenton & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson, Danny Fenton & Valerie Gray, Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters, Pompous Pep - Relationship, Vlad Masters & Clockwork
Comments: 182
Kudos: 439





	1. A Normal Day

**Author's Note:**

> I can’t believe I actually wrote this. Like I’m actually kind of embarrassed because I’m new to writing smut, and this is a very huge leap for me. Cause there will be a LOT of smut in this story. So if you don’t like that, this is definitely not the fic for you. Also, YAY! This is my first Pompous Pep fic! I hope that anyone who reads this enjoys it!

Danny hadn’t planned for this. He honestly and truly hadn’t. If he had known this was going to happen, he probably wouldn’t have even gotten out of bed that morning. He would have just... faked being sick. Maybe said he had a headache or something, maybe try to fake a fever. All the ghosts that attacked that day would’ve just had to wait until tomorrow because he’d rather just deal with it the next day. It would no doubt double his workload, but he’d rather deal with that than deal with what he’d had to deal with today. 

It had started as a routine fight. Danny was fighting Skulker, missing out on his classes, and getting the shit beat out of him. The fight had been taken into a nearby office building, where he’d finally managed to weaken Skulker enough to suck him up into the Thermos, much to the relief of the people working there. Thankfully, the fight hadn’t caused too much damage, and the only one who got hurt was Danny himself. 

He had phased through the building invisibility to the roof to catch his breath and try to treat his wounds. He had a deep cut on his shoulder, and he was littered with scrapes and bruises. He couldn’t return to class like that without raising questions that he couldn’t answer. 

He’d been about to start trying to figure out how bad everything was when his ghost sense went off again. Because of course, it had to. Danny wasn’t a lucky person. He groaned and stood from his spot, glaring up into the air. Whoever it was, he’d just have to beat them up, too, and get it over with. And he’d have to do it fast. He’d already missed out on too much school. 

“Show yourself, I don’t have time for this!” Danny yelled, clutching his shoulder. It hurt when he shifted it. Hopefully, it wouldn’t hold him back in this fight. 

Plasmius turned visible, his arms crossed in that way that just _screamed_ ‘I am superior to you.’ And it had never pissed Danny off more than it did in that moment. He didn’t have the time or patience for Vlad right now. 

_“My,_ Daniel, is that any way to greet your uncle Vlad?” Plasmius sneered.

Danny’s eyes flashed brighter in anger. “Listen. I just got done fighting Skulker and I need to fix my fucking arm before I get back to class. So can we take a rain check?”

“How could I possibly take for granted the opportunity to fight you when you’re weakened?” Vlad said with a grin. 

And then he threw an ectoblast, which was promptly blocked by the shield Danny conjured out of reflex. The fight worsened after that, both of them fighting intensely like they always did. Hurting each other and exploiting each other’s weaknesses. Vlad had aimed his attacks at Danny’s shoulder more than a few times in this fight. Vlad had always been petty like that. 

At some point, Vlad grabbed Danny by the throat and the teen immediately tried to phase through the ground to get away. But Vlad must have expected this, so he phased down with him. They went through floor after floor, startling office workers as they went, all the way until they made it to the basement and Vlad slammed Danny down into the ground by his throat.

Danny clawed at his hands, glaring up at Vlad as the man sneered down at him venomously. But then a weird feeling started to settle inside Danny’s chest, making him freeze. Vlad seemed to be feeling the same thing because the smug look on his face was replaced with something akin to horror. It took Danny a few moments to realize that the strange feeling in his chest was his _core_.

Sometimes his core reacted strangely when he was feeling strong emotion. Like if he was super happy, his core would almost feel like it was purring. Or when he was super sad, it would feel like a heavy weight dragging him down inside his chest. It was very temperamental. Right now it was vibrating, and it was _hot_. It felt like heat was radiating from his center. And it wasn’t a comfortable warmth, it was _searing_. Like someone was pouring boiling water over it. And he couldn’t understand why. The confusion was quickly replacing his anger, so it couldn’t be that. 

Vlad was clearly feeling the same thing Danny was, if his expression was anything to go by. He looked confused, curious, and _very_ concerned. He had that look on his face when he was thinking very hard about something. 

“V-Vlad?” Danny said, and his core flared up, sending waves of heat and pain through his body. Vlad groaned, squeezing his eyes shut in clear pain as well. “What the fuck?!”

“Daniel,” Vlad breathed heavily, trying to compose himself. “What did you _do?"_

“Me?!” Danny said, wrenching Vlad’s hand, which had gone loose, away from his throat. “I didn’t do shit! What the fuck did _you_ do?!”

“Nothing!” Vlad hissed in earnest. He wasn’t lying. They were both lost on this one. 

A wave of pain radiated from their cores again, and they both groaned. But after the pain faded, the heat traveled down between Danny’s legs. He slammed his head back into the pavement and arched his back slightly, biting his lip to contain any of the sounds that had threatened to come out. 

_ What the fuck was happening? _

“Y-you’re feeling everything too, right?” Danny stammered, breathing heavily as he refused to look Vlad in the eye. “My-my _core_ freaking hurts, dude...”

“Yes...” Vlad said, his voice strangely quiet. “Yes, I feel it too... my core is so cold. It feels like it’s _freezing over."_

Danny forced himself to look up, narrowing his eyes at Vlad. “Cold? My core is overheating. It feels like someone is pouring fucking lava all over it!”

Vlad frowned, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Perhaps... our cores are reacting to each other somehow? Your core is ice-based, yes?”

“Yeah,” Danny nodded. “And yours is fire.”

“Yes.” Vlad said. 

“So I’m feeling the heat of your core, and you’re feeling the cold from mine.” Danny deadpanned, trying to get this straight. 

“I thought that part was pretty obvious.” Vlad said condescendingly. 

Danny glared up at him. “Well, whatever! Maybe we should just get away from each other. Hopefully, that’ll stop...” He paused to gestured between them vaguely with a wave of his hand. “... whatever this is, since we are the cause of this.”

“Good idea,” Vlad sneered again. “You actually said something smart for once, Little Badger.”

“Fuck you, Fruit Loop.” Danny hissed.

Vlad began to climb off of Danny as the teen sat up, ready to get the fuck out of there because this was _weird,_ and the heat between his legs was starting to do things to him that he didn’t want _anyone_ to ever know about. But before they could even get up off the ground, another wave washed over them, so intense that it forced them back to the floor. Vlad fell on top of Danny as the pain rolled through their bodies, and their cores pulsated in tandem.

Arousal so powerful that Danny could no longer ignore it pooled low in his stomach, and his hazmat suit was starting to feel far too tight. He gasped when he felt something hard poke at his thigh. He tensed up when he realized that _Vlad was hard, too._ Something was seriously wrong with them right now. 

“Butter brickle, what in the world is happening?” Vlad groaned in Danny’s ear, causing an intense shiver to run down the teen’s spine. 

“F-fuck...” Danny stammered. He closed his eyes and let his head thump back against the floor. “W-why is this happening, Vlad? What even is this?!”

“I _honestly_ have not the faintest clue.” Vlad’s breath caressed the side of Danny’s neck, making his dick shamefully twitch in his suit. “In all my years of being a halfa, this has never happened to me, nor have I ever _heard_ of this ever happening to anyone.”

“Well, can you get off of me?!” Danny hissed.

Vlad pushed himself up slightly and stared down at Danny in shock for a moment like he was just now remembering the compromising position that they were in. “Oh— uh, yes.” He moved to get off, only for another wave to crash into both of them, forcing the man’s arms to give out on him and he fell back onto Danny.

The teen’s vision went white for a moment as their groins pressed together. He heard Vlad groan long and loud in his ear again. The wave slowly passed, but Danny’s head now felt like it was clouded, and he looked at Vlad as the man pushed himself up again. 

“Fuck,” Danny said, unable to hold the words back. Everything was too cloudy for him to care about that, though. “That felt good.”

“Yeah?” Vlad said.

Danny nodded.

Vlad experimentally moved his hips against Danny’s and they both groaned again in pleasure. Danny grabbed Vlad’s shoulders and pulled him down so that their faces were only inches apart. Everything felt cloudy and high and _good_ and he wanted, more than anything in the fucking world, to keep doing whatever this was. The rest of the world faded away and nothing else mattered. 

Vlad hesitated for only a moment before crashing their lips together in a bruising kiss. Danny kissed him back. He would’ve expected Vlad to taste like old cheese or something, but instead, he tasted like sweet, vanilla flavored coffee. And it was decidedly the best thing he’d ever tasted as he teased his tongue against Vlad’s lips, asking for permission.

The man eagerly opened his mouth, and Danny pushed his tongue in, tasting more of him. But he suddenly jerked back when something sharp nicked his tongue. He looked at Vlad, tasting ectoplasm as he licked his lips. 

“Did... did you bite me?” Danny asked, trying to be reasonable through the haze of arousal clouding his mind. 

Vlad grinned widely at him, showing off his fangs as an explanation for what had happened. Some of Danny’s ectoplasm stained his teeth and lips. “I apologize, Daniel, I’ve never kissed anyone in ghost form. I’ll try to be more careful.”

Danny didn’t get a chance to respond as their mouths crashed against each other again, and Danny moaned into his mouth. He bucked his hips against Vlad’s and groaned at the sheer pleasure that washed over him. Something like this had never felt so good before. 

As Vlad battled for dominance through the kiss, Danny felt himself become a little frustrated. He suddenly surged upward and grabbed Vlad around the shoulders, flipping them around. Vlad groaned as his back slammed into the ground and Danny straddled him. He looked up at the boy in shock.

Danny grinned and leaned down, whispering in Vlad’s ear. “Bet you didn’t expect me to be a fucking switch, huh, Vlad?”

The man grinned and leaned up to whisper back at him. “At least if you’re a switch, it still means I can make you submit to me.”

“That’s not happening this time, Plasmius.” Danny said, pressing his hand into Vlad’s crotch.

Vlad hissed through his teeth. “Fuck, Daniel.”

Danny massaged Vlad through his suit, cupping his dick. He couldn’t see it, but just feeling it made it very clear that Vlad was _big_. And if he weren’t clouded by arousal, he probably would’ve been worried about that just a little bit. But then again, if he were in his right mind he would’ve fled long before he figured out how big Vlad was. 

“How do you get this damn suit off?” Danny grumbled, splaying his hands up and down Vlad’s chest and stomach, feeling his firm muscles under the skin-tight clothing. He’d never realized just how well-shaped and attractive Vlad was until now. He’d always just been too busy fighting him to notice, but now... now he could just _feel_ the power Vlad’s body held, even in a situation where fighting was not involved. He felt his core pulse along with Vlad’s again at just the thought of what they could do together. 

Vlad reached up to the collar of his suit and revealed a zipper that was expertly hidden underneath a folded seam. He dragged it down, revealing his bare chest. It was blue, just like the skin of his face. Danny took the zipper from him and pulled it the rest of the way down as the man ripped off his gloves and shrugged out of the sleeves of his suit. His cape followed with it. 

Danny grinned in delight as he took his own gloves off and ran his hands over Vlad’s chest, carding his fingers through the coarse silver and black hairs. He could feel his dick twitching underneath the spandex of his suit, and he wanted more than anything to get off, but he was more focused on Vlad at the moment. He wanted to make the man feel good. He wanted to see the man come. Only then would he let anything happen to himself.

Before Danny could reach into Vlad’s suit and pull out his cock, Vlad grabbed his hands to stop him. Danny looked up to see Vlad staring back at him, his glowing red eyes lidded, but still bright. He looked almost like he was in pain with how aroused he was, and if he felt everything Danny felt core-wise, then he was definitely hurting. 

“Daniel,” He said in a low, husky voice. “This isn’t the _fairest_ position, don’t you think? Come closer. Let me touch you.”

Their cores pulsed with arousal at his words. Danny wanted so badly to do as Vlad said. But there was something he wanted to do even more. He leaned in close to Vlad’s face, their breaths intermingling as they breathed. He reached up and caressed the side of Vlad’s head, and the man wrapped his arms around Danny’s waist, pulling him into his lap. The friction felt great for both of them.

But as Vlad reached his hands down to touch Danny’s erection through his suit, the boy stopped him. He didn’t fully know why he did, he just felt a nagging fear in the back of his mind that told him he wasn’t ready for that. He looked Vlad dead in the eyes, and said, “I want your cock in my mouth.”

Vlad’s breath hitched as their cores vibrated in encouragement. The man nodded and pushed Danny back down towards his crotch. Danny reached down into the lower half of Vlad’s suit and pulled out his cock. It was hard and big, and there was already pre leaking from the tip. Danny’s mouth watered at the sight, and his heart beat with anxiety.

He’d never done anything besides kissing. And he had certainly never given anyone a blowjob. But... he’d watched some porn before, and he’d definitely read enough smut to know the general idea of what he was supposed to do. 

Vlad fisted a hand in his hair, pulling his head up slightly so Danny looked up at him. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” The words looked like they’d physically pained the older half-ghost. He was barely keeping together his restraint. 

Danny glared at him and shoved Vlad’s hands away. Determined to wipe that dumb, worried look off of Vlad’s face, the boy leaned down and licked the man’s cock from base to tip. The man’s expression changed immediately into one of utter bliss. He grabbed Danny’s hair again and pulled him closer to his dick.

“Open your mouth.” The man demanded.

Danny did as he was told and wrapped his lips around the tip, swirling his tongue around it. When the man tried to jerk his hips up further, Danny grabbed his hips to stop him. He pulled himself off with a pop and glared up at Vlad, digging his finger’s into the man’s hips.

“You better not move or I’ll stop.” Danny threatened. “I’ll leave you here, painfully hard and aroused, and you’ll have to finish all by yourself.”

Vlad growled and tightened his hands in Danny’s hair. “You wouldn’t. You want this just as much as I do.”

“Maybe,” Danny shrugged, grabbing Vlad’s dick and pumping it with his hand with slow, smooth strokes. The man’s breath hitched again. “But when have you ever known me to make empty threats, Plasmius?”

Vlad groaned again, leaning back on his elbows. 

Danny wrapped his lips around the head of Vlad’s dick again and sucked, being mindful of his teeth as he lowered himself slowly. It didn’t taste _awesome_ or anything, but it wasn’t terrible. It just tasted a little salty. But the _feeling_ and the knowledge that Vlad’s cock was in his mouth was enough to make Danny moan around the heated member. Vlad was groaning under him, his arms shaking under his weight as he fought to keep his hips from jerking up into Danny’s welcoming mouth. It would be borderline _torture_ if the boy stopped. 

Danny made it halfway down the man’s length before he gagged and he had to pull back. He coughed hard, clearing his throat before he tried again, flattening his tongue along the bottom of his cock and sinking down as far as he could. 

“Fuck, Daniel, you look so gorgeous like this.” Vlad ran a hand through Danny’s hair, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight before him. 

Danny hummed around his cock again, and Vlad groaned, fingers tightening in his white hair. He’d never heard Vlad curse until today, and he’d done it _twice_. It was somehow weird and exhilarating at the same time. And hearing Vlad praise him... he didn’t know how, but it made him feel so, so fuzzy with pleasure. Maybe it was because he was always being insulted by everyone he came across, or because he subconsciously wanted Vlad to like him, but he really, really liked what Vlad was saying to him.

“You’re doing so well,” Vlad said, almost like he’d read his mind. “Such a good boy.”

Danny groaned again and sunk down further, trying to relax his throat so he could take all of him. It was starting to hurt his throat, and green-tinted tears were forming in his eyes, but he kept going, little by little until he found his nose buried in the dark hair of Vlad’s crotch. He slowly bobbled his head, tightening his hold on Vlad when his hips twitched. 

“Daniel, I’m-I’m—" Vlad moaned, breathing heavily. “I’m close. Let me— let me come in your mouth. Please, Daniel.”

Danny moved a little faster, determined to do this as well as he could. He’d never thought Vlad would beg for anything, but obviously he didn’t know this side of the man all that well. He was pretty happy with what he’d found out so far, at least.

Vlad suddenly pulled Danny’s head down and held him there as he came with a low groan of the boy’s name. Danny panicked Vlad’s warmth shot down his throat, and he almost choked. His throat reflexively swallowed around Vlad’s cock, and he kept at it until there was no more. Danny felt relieved that he’d done well as Vlad pulled him off his cock and pulled him up into a deep kiss.

Danny’s mind lagged behind slightly, still processing the fact that Vlad has come in his mouth and he’d _swallowed all of it._ But he kissed back anyway, feeling almost desperate for release. 

Vlad pulled back and grabbed Danny around the waist before he stood up, holding the teen in his arms as he spun around and pressed him into the wall. The older half-ghost grinned. “I think a reward is in place for that stellar performance, Daniel. What would you like me to do?”

Danny’s mind finally caught up with what was happening. The haze of arousal had lifted slightly since Vlad had come. Their cores were so intertwined right now that he could almost _feel_ the afterglow, even though he was still painfully hard. And suddenly he was _painfully_ aware of just what the fuck was happening right now.

Vlad had just _come in his mouth._ He’d just _willingly_ given his arch-nemesis a blow-job, and he had _no fucking clue why._

Something was wrong. _Very, very wrong._

As Vlad started to run his hands along Danny’s chest, undoubtedly trying to find a way to get his suit off, Danny suddenly grabbed the man’s hands in a panic. Vlad looked up at him, worried.

“W-wait!” Danny stuttered, wracking his brain for an excuse. “Wait, um...” He looked around, trying to figure out how to escape without it seeming too suspicious. His eyes landed on Vlad’s watch. “Vlad, what time is it?”

Vlad frowned and looked at his watch. “It’s... a quarter ‘till four.”

School ended fifteen minutes ago. 

Danny let out a nervous laugh, feeling his core clench painfully in his chest like it was disagreeing with what he was trying to do. At Vlad’s wince, he knew the man felt it, too. “I’m late for, uh— I just— I need to go! Sorry!” 

“Wait—" Vlad said, but Danny was already phasing through the wall behind him. And then he was gone, and Vlad was suddenly alone in the basement. 

The man yelled in frustration and slammed his fist into the wall, sending a spiderweb of cracks out from the point of contact. Vlad breathed heavily as he slowly let his arms fall and he rested his head against the wall in defeat. 

“Fudge...” Vlad muttered.

* * *

Danny flew home as fast as he physically could, and he was certain he’d broken his stop speed because he was already at his destination in two short minutes. He phased through the window of his room and transformed, collapsing against the floor unceremoniously. His core had been screaming at him to turn back the entire time, and even in human form, he could still just barely feel it.

He leaned back against the wall under his windowsill, panting heavily. He was drenched in a layer of sweat from his flight and, to his utter mortification, he was still hard. And it _hurt_.

With trembling hands, Danny reached into his pants and pulled his dick out. It took only a few strokes before he came with a muffled cry into his hand, and he slumped bonelessly against the wall.

What just happened. _What the fuck just happened._

“Oh my god,” Danny groaned in agony, fisting his hands through his hair. “Oh my god, what’s _wrong_ with me?!"

He would’ve sat there longer, but he was suddenly startled by a knock on his bedroom door.

“Danny?” Came his mother’s muffled voice through the door. “Are you in there, sweetie? I didn’t hear you come through the front door.”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Danny called back, scrambling to tuck himself back in and clean up the mess he’d made with some dirty clothes from his laundry basket. He also grabbed one of the darker shirts and threw it over his normal clothes to hide the ectoplasm and blood that was caked over his shoulder and halfway down his arms. “I-I got home just a minute ago.”

The door opened just as Danny stuffed his dirty clothes back into the basket. 

“Oh, sweetie, do you need me to do the laundry for you? It’s overflowing.” Maddie said with concern. 

Danny’s eyes widened and he stepped in front of the basket as his mom tried to reach for it. “N-no! It’s all good. I can wash it.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Maddie smiled at him, oblivious to what was actually happening. “Dinner should be done in an hour or so, so try to get your homework finished before then.”

“Yeah, sure.” Danny nodded, just wanting her to leave. 

With that, Maddie left, leaving Danny alone in his room again. He heaved a heavy sigh and slumped down into his computer chair, utterly exhausted. His core felt... sore, almost. Like he’d hurt it, somehow. But he’d just have to live with it. 

He literally could not _believe_ what he’d just done. He could still taste Vlad’s come in his mouth. He shivered.

A shower. He needed to wash it off. Yeah, and then he’d feel better. And then he’d just forget about the whole thing. It never happened. And if Vlad tried to bring it up, then... Danny would just have to run away.

Because it _didn’t_ happen. Completely didn’t happen. 

He did _not_ suck his arch enemies dick. That’s _ridiculous_. He’d never do something like that. He was a good hero, and Vlad was the slimy bastard that wanted to kill his dad and marry his mom. He wanted Danny to be his evil halfa son, so there’s no way the teen would ever allow that to happen. 

“Nope,” Danny said as he stood from the chair and made his way to his dresser for some clean pajamas. “Didn’t happen.”

He grabbed his clothes and practically ran to the bathroom. He scrubbed at his skin until it was raw and pink, and he made sure to disinfect the cut on his arm, which was already halfway healed because of his healing abilities. And his raw skin was already starting to feel better by the time he stepped out of the shower. 

He went back to his room, did his homework, went downstairs for dinner with his family, did some chores, all while pretending and denying that anything happened at all. Vlad was still his enemy. There was nothing between them, and nothing happened. 

But by the time he was ready to go to sleep, and he was laying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, denial was starting to fail him. He tried to think of literally anything else as he tried to drift to sleep, but somehow everything he could think about only reminded him of Vlad. 

When he tried to think about ghosts, he remembered that he and Vlad were the only halfas, besides Dani. When he thought about his family, all he could think about was how Vlad was in love with his mother. When he thought about his friends, he remembered that his friends hated Vlad with a passion. When he thought about school, he remembered that Vlad and his parents used to go to college together. 

He just couldn’t escape thinking about it. Danny clenched his fists under the blankets as he stared up at the ceiling through his natural night vision. Frustrated tears rose to his eyes, and he turned over on his side to bury his face in his pillows. He hugged one of his blankets to his chest and tried to make his mind go blank as he cried himself to sleep. 

He failed, and ended up having nightmares about Vlad all night.


	2. Terrified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's friends take over patrol for Danny and Vlad shows up to "talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys know, I'm a plot kind of gal. Most of this is going to be plot, even though the beginning is pretty smutty lol. It'll probably go back and forth between the two (plot and smut, I mean) but I'm definitely far more invested in the plot.

Danny was exhausted. He’d fought the box ghost four times today already, and Ember had made a brief appearance as well. She’d ended up knocking him through a wall, and his head was still throbbing from it. He was almost 100% certain he’d had a concussion for the rest of his morning classes. He was okay now, thanks to his accelerated healing, but going to class with a concussion was never fun. 

And it was only lunchtime. Which meant he was barely even halfway through the day, and he hated it. He just wanted to go home and hide under the covers of his bed for an undecided amount of time. Probably until he felt better, or something. 

Danny set his lunch tray on the table and sat down with his friends. They were already in a heated debate about their dietary preferences. He’d already heard this argument plenty of times within the last four years of high school, so he turned it out as he picked listlessly at his food. His mind was entirely consumed with thoughts of Vlad whenever he wasn’t doing something else.

And his core was a whole other story. It still felt achy and sore, like it was bruised or something. And it was worse when he was in his ghost form, making it hard to fight other ghosts. He was surprised he’d barely managed to capture Ember in his thermos. 

Danny let out a deep sigh and pushed his tray to the side. He laid his head on the table and closed his eyes, trying to think about anything other than Vlad. Because thinking about Vlad also made his core hurt more. He didn’t know if that was causation or correlation, though. 

“Danny?” Tucker said.

Danny groaned. Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Probably Sam. She did that sometimes when Danny looked like he was sad. 

“Are you okay, man?” Tucker asked him, concern in his voice. “You’ve been acting more tired than usual today.”

Danny sat up and rubbed at his eyes. There was no way he was gonna tell his friends what happened. He’d have to smudge the truth. “Got into a pretty intense fight with Vlad yesterday, and... and my dreams were too loud or something. They kept waking me up.”

Sam and Tuck both frowned in concern for their friend.

“Well... what if after school we go on patrol for you, and you take the rest of the day to relax?” Sam suggested with a hopeful tone. His friends were always so adamant about trying to help him. Really, he couldn’t ask for better friends. 

“Yeah, man,” Tuck smiled encouragingly. “You’ve already fought the box ghost three times.”

“Four times.” Sam corrected.

“Four times.” Tucker nodded. _“And_ Ember hit you pretty hard when she sent you through that wall. You were unconscious for, like... five minutes, dude. You deserve to have the rest of the day off.”

Danny looked back and forth between his friends, anxiety growing within him. It wasn’t the first time his friends had covered patrol for him, but that only ever happened when Danny physically couldn’t get the job done. Like if he was grounded and had to go straight home after school, and his parents were watching him like hawks. Or if he was too injured to fight, or stuck in his human form and was dealing with that for whatever reason. 

And every time, it made him worry for his friends. What if something happened while he wasn’t there? What if they needed Danny to save them, and he wasn’t able to protect them? He couldn’t let them cover patrol for him unless it was absolutely necessary. And this time it wasn’t. 

“No,” Danny said, and when his friends tried to protest, he continued. “Guys, I’m _okay_. My head feels mostly better now. And this isn’t the first time I’ve gone on patrol after not getting any sleep.”

“Danny,” Sam said, her tone warning in that way it only got when she felt like Danny wasn’t taking enough care of himself. It was a tone that often reminded him of Jazz. “Let us do this for you. We’ve gone on patrol without you before, and we turned out alright.”

“Yeah, because Tucker breaking his wrist and you spraining your ankle was no big deal.” Danny said sarcastically. The last time his friends went on patrol for him was almost six months ago from today. And they got hurt fighting a ghost. Danny hadn’t let them patrol without him since then.

“Danny, that was forever ago.” Tucker groaned. “It wasn’t even that bad.”

“But you still got _hurt_ because I wasn’t there.” Danny glared at them, unwilling to lose this argument. 

“What if we texted you updates every twenty minutes?” Sam asked. “Would you let us do it then?”

“You need the rest, dude.” Tucker insisted, reaching across the table to grab Danny’s shoulder. “You deserve a break once in a while.”

Danny shrugged Tucker’s hand off of him. “No. I won’t allow it, and that’s final.”

Sam looked hurt for a moment before her expression sharpened into a glare. “Danny, we’re in this _together,_ whether you like it or not. You are _not_ on your own. We are part of this, and in this case, majority rules. You’re taking the afternoon off.”

“I’m with Sam.” Tucker nodded in agreement. 

Danny looked back and forth at his friends’ unwavering expressions. They weren’t going to let this go. The young half ghost sighed heavily. “Okay, but you have to text me every ten minutes instead of twenty, and if you encounter _any_ ghost above level three, you _have_ to call me so I can take care of it.”

“Fifteen minuets, we’ll call you for only above level _four,_ and we have a deal.” Sam said. 

Danny hesitated but reluctantly agreed. “Fine.”

“Whoo!” Tuck cheered. “We’ve been promoted back to Patrol Team B.”

Danny rested his head on the table and groaned.

* * *

\- -

**_ Ghost Boi: U guys okay? _ **

**_ Techno Geek: Dude everything is ok just relax _ **

**_ Vegetarian Goth: we’re okay _ **

**_ Ghost Boi: You guys were late to text _ **

**_ Vegetarian Goth: Danny it’s literally only been 5 minutes _ **

**_ Techno Geek: yeah and we agreed to 15min  _ **

**_ Ghost Boi: I’m just worried  _ **

**_ Vegetarian Goth: we know Danny but we’re okay _ **

_** Techno Geek: yea we’ll text you if we run into anything too powerful ** _

_** Vegetarian Goth: so far its only been boxy. Stop worrying so much ** _

\- -

Danny sighed and let his phone drop down onto his chest. He was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling again. He’d tried to relax and sleep like his friends suggested, but he couldn’t. If he wasn’t thinking about Vlad and the ache radiating from his core, he was worrying over his friends and wishing that he was there with them.

It was annoying how much of his mind was occupied with thoughts of Vlad. It’s almost like his core wouldn’t let him forget. Like it was attached to Vlad, or something like that. 

Why would it be attached to Vlad? And why now? They’d been physically close before like that in battle. It hadn’t been the first time Vlad had ended up on top of him, pinning him to the ground by his throat. And all those other times, his core hadn’t really reacted. Not unless Vlad really hurt him or pissed him off somehow.

And never, in a million years, had their fighting every been _sexualized_. How could it, when all Vlad could talk about was taking over the world and marrying his mother? There was nothing sexual about it. Vlad had never hinted that he wanted Danny that way, and Danny had never even felt that he _might_ want Vld that way. 

Last time, though... what even happened? One moment they were fine, fighting like they usually did, and the next, his core just... what? Intertwined itself with Vlad’s core? That’s the only thing he sort of understood. He didn’t know _how_ or _why_ it happened, but somehow... their cores connected with each other. They brushed against each other, coiled themselves together. He’d _felt_ Vlad’s core intermingling with his own. Vlad had said his core was _cold,_ while Danny knew for a fact that his own core had been _burning_.

It had felt like he was melting at some points, but the arousal had overpowered it. And it was just... such a weird, horrible thing. His state of mind had just been... so strange. He forgot, for a while, that he was supposed to hate Vlad. He forgot that the man was in love with his mother, that he’d hurt him and his family in so many unforgivable ways. 

He hadn’t forgotten who Vlad was, but it was like... he’d forgotten that he was bad for a moment. He forgot that Vlad would do anything he could to hurt him. It was like he was under a spell, or maybe even mind control. Was it Ember who’d made them like that? Had _Freakshow_ come back to fuck with him?

No. No, that was ridiculous. When Ember used that spell on him to fall in love with Sam, it hadn’t felt anything like that. And when Freakshow used his staff to control him, he’d basically become a zombie. He was still struggling to remember everything that Freakshow had made him do that day. 

So it was either a new ghost that had somehow come around without him noticing or something was seriously wrong with their cores. That, or Vlad had been lying about not knowing what was happening to them. But... no matter how much he didn’t trust a damn word that came out of Vlad’s mouth, he doubted the man would do something like that. He wanted Danny’s _mom,_ and not him. He was lucky his senses came back when they did, but he still kind of wished he’d realized sooner.

He’d... he’d _sucked Vlad off._ With his _mouth_. And he _swallowed all of it._ How does someone just do that like it was nothing? How does someone just forget that they’re actually supposed to be fighting?

Danny’s face reddened in embarrassment and he pressed his palms into his eyes, hard enough to see stars. Vlad would never let him live it down. He’d bring it up in future battles, and Danny will literally just die when that happens. Maybe all the way this time. 

That is, if he could even bring himself to fight Vlad anymore. How could he face the man after this? Would he even be able to look him in the eye? He knew, eventually, he’d have to face the man. He doubted what happened between them would change anything. The man would still be up to his devious schemes, and Danny would still have to stop him. 

He was so screwed. He’d be useless in a fight against Vlad now, he just knew it. 

As if his thoughts conjured Vlad himself, Danny felt his core tense inside his chest and for some reason, he just _knew_ that the man was close. He sat up, eyes wide as fear filled him. What could Vlad possibly want right now? And how the _fuck_ did he knew he was close? His ghost sense hadn’t even gone off yet. 

Or he was just fucking crazy, and his mind was playing tricks on him. Just as he was about to try and dismiss the thought, his ghost sense actually _did_ go off, blue mist escaping his mouth. Danny shot up from the bed and grabbed the anti-creep stick that was set up next to his bed. His dad had made a few more recently as a new precaution after he (or technically _Phantom_ ) messed up and ended up accidentally leading some ghosts into the house while they were fighting. Each family member now had one in their room, and there were extra ones in the kitchen and living room.

It was a little excessive, in Danny’s opinion. But it was a great option for when there was no time to run down to the lab and grab a proper ecto-weapon. Or for when Danny couldn’t use his powers _or_ get any other weapons. Which was right now, because there was no way he was going to transform in front of Vlad with how his core was acting up. 

Plasmius suddenly phased through the door of Danny’s room, and the teen rose the bat up in the air, fingers tightening around the handle. Red eyes focused on Danny across the room and he rose his hands placatingly.

“Why are you holding a bat, Daniel?” Vlad asked, voice oddly quiet.

“Because I don’t trust myself in my ghost form right now.” Danny said coldly. He could already feel his core buzzing inside his chest like it was just _begging_ him to transform and get closer to Vlad. But he wouldn’t. Nope. That was _not_ happing again. Last time had been a fluke, and it was never going to happen, never ever again. 

Plasmius sighed and transformed back into a human. He straightened his tie and started to walk towards him. Danny rose the bat higher and swung it threateningly, causing the man to pause.

“Stay the fuck back!” Danny hissed at him. “Last time you came close to me, we— y-you...” He trailed off, letting out a growl of frustration as his face flushed at the embarrassing thoughts. “Just stay away from me! Go away!”

Vlad rose his hands again, trying to show that he didn’t mean any harm. It didn’t calm Danny in the slightest. “Daniel, I’m just here to talk.”

“Yeah, and what started out as _talking_ turned into _not_ talking last time.” Danny took a threatening step forward, pushing the end of the bat into Vlad’s chest insistently. “Leave. _Now."_

Vlad placed his hand on the bat and tried to push it down, but Danny shoved it further into his chest in order to stop him. “Don’t even fucking think about it. I _will_ knock you out with this thing if I have to.”

Vlad glared at him, his hand still on the bat. But he didn’t try to push it away anymore. “My core has been in _agony_ since our last meeting, and apparently unlike _you,_ I would very much like to figure out why that is so we can stop it. So could you please stop threatening me with a _bat?_ You and I both know it’ll do nothing to me anyway.”

“It’s painted with ectoplasmic paint. It’ll hit you, even if you turn intangible.” Danny pushed the bat forward even more, causing Vlad to stumble back slightly. “I don’t want you anywhere near me.” He said through clenched teeth. “I just want you gone.”

“I apologize for what happened. I never wanted to cause you harm in that way." Vlad said, causing Danny to falter. His eyes widened at the genuine concern and guilt in Vlad’s voice. Unfortunately, Vlad was quick to take the opening and he yanked the bat from Danny’s loosened grasp.

Danny backed away, shock melting into fury at being tricked like that. Of course, Vlad would fake an apology to throw him off his game. He was a politician, after all. The pompous billionaire was a selfish asshole who hurt people for his own gain. Danny _hated_ how betrayed he felt right now. 

Vlad turned the bat on Danny, and the boy backed away until his knees hit the bed. He turned around to look for an escape, but Vlad had already advanced on him, and he shoved the end of the bat into his chest. Danny fell back onto the bed with a gasp, and he tried to push up on his elbows to back away, but Vlad pinned him down with the bat by digging it into his chest. 

Danny clutched at the bat, his fingers trembling slightly as he felt heat flare in his chest, even in his human form. If Vlad tried to come any closer, he’d kick him away. 

“Are you just upset that you didn’t get your reward?” Vlad sneered down at him.

Danny’s eyes flared green in anger. “I don’t want your stinkin’ award, Fruit Loop. I want you _out of my house."_

Vlad frowned slightly before removing the bat and resting it over his own shoulder as he stood over Danny. “I meant what I said. I _am_ sorry.”

“You don’t seem very sorry.” Danny muttered as he pushed himself up on his elbows. He winced when his core flared with heat. Vlad’s did as well, his expression contorting in pain for a moment. “Y-you should leave.” The teen said. “Like really, seriously leave because it hurts _more_ when you’re close.”

“Well, what if... what if I just...” Vlad reached down and placed a hand on Danny’s chest, causing the boy to flinch. But the ache and soreness immediately vanished at the physical contact. His core finally felt calm.

But Danny was anything but calm. He breathed heavily as he stared down at Vlad’s hand, his mind racing with questions. “What the _fuck?"_ He said under his breath. 

Vlad leaned the baseball bat against the frame of the bed and sat next to Danny, all without removing his hand. He moved it up to the boy’s shoulder, which caused Danny to let out a breath of relief.

“Why is this happening?” Danny asked, thinking hard about it. His core didn’t hurt anymore. Vlad was touching him, and it didn’t hurt anymore. It was the only reason he hadn’t pushed the many away yet. 

“I... I couldn’t find anything. I’ve been researching it all day.” Vlad sighed, sagging slightly. It was clear that he was just as exhausted as Danny. “So I’m working off of theories.”

“What are your theories?” Danny hissed at him. “Because I’m so fucking done with this shit. I want it to stop. _Forever."_

“Well, my first theory is that this has something to do with mating...” Vlad said, completely serious. “Being the only two of our species might have done something biological to us, even though we can’t reproduce.”

Danny’s eyes widened, and he immediately pulled himself away from Vlad, not wanting the man’s hands on him at all after what he’d just described. His core retaliated his removal of Vlad’s hand by burning so much that his transformation was forced as he fell off the side of the bed. He hit the ground with a pained groan and he rolled over onto his side, hating the heat and pain that was pulsating from deep inside of him. 

It was making his body cease up with pain. It was too painful to even move. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry out for help, because he’d never felt pain like this before. It was almost as bad as what he’d felt in the portal the day he became a halfa. But his voice had been stolen from him, taken away by the sheer amount of pain radiating from every atom of his body. His core felt like it was tearing itself apart. He was in utter agony. 

But then he felt arms wrap around his waist, and the pain dissipated, leaving him gasping for breath as his mind sharpened back into focus. Vlad had followed him down from the bed, now in ghost form as well. And he was trembling as he hugged Danny from behind. He’d saved them both from the pain. 

Danny felt tears rise to his eyes and trickle down his face as he felt a subtle arousal aching low in his stomach once again. He hated this. He hated everything about this. He didn’t want any of it. He wanted to be alone, he wanted to never think about this again. 

“Vlad...” Danny’s voice cracked. “Why is this happening to us?”

“I-I don’t know... I don’t know.” Vlad began rocking him slightly, pulling him into his lap from behind. “I’m so sorry, Daniel. I’m sorry that I hurt you. I never... I’d never hurt you like _that.”_

Danny let out a choked sob. Did he really look so pathetic that his own arch-nemesis felt the need to comfort him? Was he really that broken? Danny cried for a while, letting all of the pent-up emotions drain from him as Vlad rocked them and shushed him from behind. The man’s arms felt nice wrapped around him, and he hated that it was comforting, but it was. And he needed any comfort he could get.

It had been terrifying, curled up on the ground with no idea why he was in so much pain. He’d had no idea how to stop it in that moment, no idea what to do. As glad as he was that the pain was gone, it was still very puzzling and distressing to him that only Vlad could stop it. 

When he finally managed to calm down, they both turned human again, and he processed Vlad’s apology in his head. Vlad had hurt him many times before, but he knew the man was being honest in his apology now. The man was cruel, but not _that_ kind of cruel. He wouldn’t force Danny to do something like that. There were some lines even Vlad Masters wouldn’t cross, and Danny knew that. 

The teen frowned and rested the back of his head on Vlad’s shoulder. He was just going to ignore the fact that he was sitting in Vlad’s lap for now because one, it was super weird and he didn’t want to think about it, and two, he knew he’d be in pain if he wasn’t touching Vlad right now. They were basically stuck together. 

“You didn’t...” Danny paused, making sure that he meant his next words. _“Hurt_ me.”

Vlad sighed heavily, and it was weird to Danny how he could feel his chest move with it. He’d been close to Vlad before, fought with him while inches apart, snarling in each other’s faces, but he’d never been close to him like _this_. “I did something that I shouldn’t have. I made you do something that probably made you hate me...”

“You didn’t _make_ me do anything.” Danny grumbled, remembering how forward and confident he’d been in the heat of the moment. “I did that all on my own, so don’t take all the fucking credit, old man. I... I _wanted_ to. My core _made_ me want to... and I’m assuming that your core did, too...”

Vlad hesitated, his body tensing slightly. “It still doesn’t excuse the sheer irresponsibility of my actions—"

“Vlad, it was literally like being under mind control.” Danny cut him off. That’s what it had felt like, at least. All rational thought had left Danny when it had happened. 

“It wasn’t _that_ influential, Daniel. We were still aware of what we were doing.” Vlad said in annoyance. “And don’t interrupt me, it’s rude.”

“Maybe we were aware, but our _inhibitions_ were, like... non-existent.” Danny shrugged, deciding not to pick a fight over Vlad’s little comment about him being rude. “Like I knew who you were, and what I was doing, but... it felt like I didn’t need to worry about anything else, like the fact that you’re into my mom, or that you’re always trying to destroy my life. Maybe it was more like hypnosis, in that sense.”

“If you say it was only our inhibitions that were set aside...” Vlad sneered suddenly, tightening his grasp. “Does that mean you’re saying you actually _desire_ me?”

Danny’s face reddened, and he would’ve squirmed from Vlad’s grasp if he could. “No! That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Little Badger?” Vlad leaned down and _honest-to-god_ purred in Danny’s ear. 

Danny felt shivers travel up and down his spine. “Vlad, _stop—"_

“Or what?” Vlad chuckled, kissing lightly at Danny’s neck. “You’ll push me away again? Because that will turn out _so_ well.”

Danny _hated_ that Vlad mouthing at his neck felt so good. He could feel his core burning again, but it was less painful and more pleasurable. And his dick was starting to stiffen in his pajama pants. He hated it. Why did this have to happen? _Why?_

“I meant... I just meant...” Danny trailed off for a moment, once again looking for any excuse he could think of. But he was drawing a blank. “I-I don’t know! But just because I said that it doesn’t mean I wanted to do that before it happened! I don’t know _why_ it happened! Maybe our cores were just, _y’know,_ doing certain things to our bodies, and we happened to be near each other at the time...”

Vlad’s scoff sounded unamused. “We already established that this wasn’t some freak accident, Daniel. Our cores _reacted_ to each other like it was biologically meant to happen. And our cores are reacting to each other now, as well.”

Danny groaned in frustration. “I wish I could kick your ass so much right now.”

“I have something far more entertaining in mind,” Vlad said mischievously. He trailed his hand down Danny’s chest and under his shirt, spreading his hands over the bare skin of his stomach. “I never _did_ get to reward you for your spectacular performance, remember? You left me.”

Danny’s mind was shorting out slightly, pinpricks of pleasure lighting up his brain. His head was starting to feel cloudy again, his dick straining against the fabric of his clothes. He wanted Vlad’s hands there, over his crotch, touching him, feeling him.

The teen shook his head, pushing Vlad’s hands out from under his shirt. “V-Vlad! Stop! Our cores are being stupid again, and you know it! That’s all this is!”

Vlad hummed for a moment before responding. “I wouldn’t say that’s _all_ there is to it. I’ve been quite fond of you since we met. Maybe not in this way, specifically, but fond nonetheless. I care for you in a way that makes this... _mean_ something.”

“How can you say that?” Danny growled. “If you cared about me, you wouldn’t be such an asshole.”

“Everyone I cared about left me,” Vlad said sternly. “If I can’t have _all_ of you, then I know you’ll leave me, too.”

Danny pulled back to glare at Vlad, his eye twitching momentarily in frustration. “That’s not how the world works, Vlad. That’s like super fucking toxic. If you were married to my mom, would you let her have friends? Or would you tell her she wasn’t allowed to because you were scared it was gonna make her leave you?”

“That’s not what I meant, Daniel.” Vlad glared back at him. “I was talking about dedication and loyalty. You can’t be loyal to me if you’re still on good terms with your father.”

Danny shrugged, ignoring the part about his father. “Could’ve fooled me. I mean, seriously Vlad. If you weren’t always trying to kill my dad, steal my mom, and destroy the world, we really could’ve been friends! And just so you know, I already _did_ leave you. Because you’re a _prick_. Not because I have other people in my life.”

“How could you have left me if you’re right here?” Vlad said.

“Because you are _not_ my friend!” Danny rose his voice. “I don’t ever want to be around you!”

Vlad was silent.

“You have _hurt_ the people that _I_ care about,” Danny said, quieter now. “A few days ago, I wouldn’t have cared, even if you got ejected into space to die. You _hurt_ me. You _hurt_ the people I love. How could you ever expect anyone to love or care about you if all you do is hurt them and the people that _they_ care about? This is why I call you a crazed up Fruit Loop because you are actually _crazy!"_

Vlad growled and pulled Danny closer to him. Danny tensed, even as his core fluttered happily at the action. He was still hard in his pants, and the feeling was only getting worse, rather than getting better. He knew that soon he wouldn’t be thinking straight. He was already wishing that Vlad was touching him down there, or that, at the very least, he could make the man feel good again. Making Vlad feel good was almost as good as Vlad making _him_ feel good. 

Which was a fucked up thought, because Danny was trying to express just how much Vlad hurt him on a weekly basis. But whatever his fucking core was doing was making it hard to keep reminding himself of the truth about Vlad. That he was a selfish prick that didn’t really care about him.

“Things have to change between us.” Vlad said, breath dusting over the shell of Danny’s ear. 

Danny shivered again and leaned back into Vlad, desperate for more contact. He hissed through his teeth, trying to clear his head. “I-I hate you...”

“I don’t want you to hate me.” Vlad said dejectedly.

Danny winced. He didn’t actually mean that. He strongly disliked the man. He was very unpleasant to be around, even when he wasn’t trying to kill him. But he didn’t _hate_ him. Danny didn’t really hate anyone. And given their situation, claiming that he _hated_ Vlad didn’t seem the most appropriate. “I-I didn’t m-mean it...” He stuttered under his breath.

Vlad kissed the side of his neck again and Danny barely managed to hold back a moan. “Is that just your core speaking, or did Danny Phantom, the one who thwarts my plans around every corner, really just say that he doesn’t hate his arch-nemesis?”

Danny groaned, his brain feeling fuzzy. He felt like he could trust Vlad— his _core_ told him he could trust Vlad. “You piss me off, but I’ve never hated you. I think... I think sometimes I understand why you are the way you are, even if it doesn’t excuse anything you’ve done...”

Vlad tensed behind him but didn’t move to pull away at all. His lips barely hovered over the tendons of his neck, his warm breath against Danny’s skin. “And why do you think I am the way I am?”

“You’re lonely.” Danny said automatically. 

Vlad scoffed.

“You are!” Danny insisted. “You’re lonely and sad... so you lash out. And you’re too stubborn to let go of the past. You’re _glued_ to what happened to you in fucking college.”

“Your father _killed_ me in college.” Vlad hissed.

“You’re half fucking alive, Vlad.” Danny hissed back at him, trying not to think about how Vlad refused to mention the whole ‘Jack stole Maddie from me’ speech he usually gave by his point. “And what dad did was an _accident_. I mean, I half died in the basement of my own house, but you don’t see me brooding over it twenty-four-fucking-seven. I'm not trying to say you shouldn't be upset or traumatized, but you need to live a little. Like, just stop letting that one incident control your life."

Vlad huffed from behind him, but he didn’t say anything. He just sat there, breathing on Danny’s neck and holding him tightly from behind. Some time passed, and their cores buzzed in tandem, making it harder and harder to think. Danny felt the insufferable urge to turn around and kiss Vlad. He’d never wanted something more. 

He wanted to taste the vanilla coffee on his breath, he wanted to feel the man’s fangs nick his tongue again. He wanted to feel the man’s body pressed against his, to feel their cocks brush against each other. 

“I want to kiss you.” Vlad whispered in his ear suddenly, panting heavily. 

“W-we can’t.” Danny stammered, voice hoarse. It took everything he had not to say ‘me, too.’ He was sure if he did, Vlad would make the first move. And then Danny wouldn’t be able to stop. 

“I know...” Vlad sighed in disappointment. “But how much longer can we resist? I’m sorry that I’ve been pushy with you, especially since I promised we would only talk, but... I’ve never been very good at resisting temptation and my core has been _aching_ for you since our last encounter...”

Danny groaned, feeling his core pulse with _want_ and _need_. His thoughts were fading from words and into just feelings. Feelings of desire, of desperation. He thought for a long, long moment before he could remember how to speak again. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“I had to, and you know why.” Vlad said. “I couldn’t just ignore my core like that... it’s incredibly distracting and painful. I could barely manage to get my work done.”

Danny winced at that. “Yeah, I know... my core is like that, too...”

“Then shouldn’t we try to fix it?” Vlad suggested lightly, sounding hopeful. 

“How?” Danny whispered. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he didn’t like it. 

Vlad was silent for a long while like he really didn’t want to say what he was going to say. “Last time... we didn’t finish what we were doing. Not completely.”

Danny cringed. In his own opinion, sex wasn’t always about both people coming. There were a lot of different ways to have sex, a lot of different ways for both parties to feel satisfied, and sometimes it was okay when one or both didn’t come, just as long as each partner got what they wanted and nothing was forced between them. But in nature, in _biology,_ it probably meant something different. He hadn’t come, and his dick had gone mostly unnoticed the entire time, and he hadn’t minded. The only one that finished was Vlad. So it was incomplete when Danny left, and both of their cores knew it. But Danny had still... gotten off afterward. Shouldn’t that count for something?

“I um...” Danny’s face turned scarlet, and he was so glad he wasn’t facing the man right now. “After I left... I kind of... um... _y’know_...” He scratched at the back of his head in embarrassment. “By myself. Shouldn’t that count?”

Vlad chuckled, warm and loud. And Danny slumped forward slightly in embarrassment. “You know... after you had my cock in your mouth, I would be more than willing to return the favor. You didn’t have to escape the second I came.”

Danny buried his face in his hands. “Ugh, Vlad.” Why didn’t the man understand why he left? 

Vlad pushed his hands under Danny’s shirt and caressed his sides with light, spidery fingers. “All you have to say is yes, Little Badger.”

Goosebumps rose along Danny’s arms at the nickname. “Don’t wanna...” he mumbled, even though his core very much _did_ want to. But he couldn’t. His mouth started to water. There was still something else that he could do, though. Something he’d already done, and wouldn’t mind doing again. “But I can do something for _you_ if you’d like...” 

Vlad’s hands stilled. He leaned closer to Danny’s ear again. “Daniel,” He said, and his name had never sounded so good coming from someone’s mouth before. “I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel.”

“I’m fine.” Danny said in a meek voice. 

He could practically feel Vlad’s disappointment. And maybe that had something to do with the link between their cores. “Why are you shying away from this when you’re perfectly okay with pleasuring me? I promise you, I’ll make you see stars...”

Danny had to fight through a mental battle with himself before he responded, breathing heavily as his dick strained against his clothes. “Don’t... wanna...”

“Why not?” Vlad asked.

“It’ll hurt.” Danny said.

“I’m not talking about sex, Daniel. Just touching.” Vlad said defensively. “It won’t hurt... I promise...”

“No!” Danny forced out. “I don’t mean _physically,_ Vlad...”

Vlad’s grasp on him loosened slightly. Danny couldn’t help but whine in protest. Despite what he was saying, he didn’t want Vlad to take his hands off of him. 

“You mean... emotionally...” Vlad stated, disappointment and hurt clear in his tone.

“You’ll use it against me...” Danny said.

“Have I used any of this against you so far?” Vlad asked.

“No,” Danny said. “But you could...”

“And you could use it against me in turn.” Vlad countered. “If you told your parents... if you told the town, told the police... I could be thrown in jail.”

“Maybe...” Danny relented with a frown. “But we both know you could escape easily.”

“But my reputation would never recover.” Vlad said. “Your parents would hate me, the political community would shun me. I’d have to move to the Ghost Zone.” He paused, voice dipping into a whisper. “You could ruin me before I ever ruined you...”

Danny’s breath hitched slightly. Maybe he did have a lot more power over Vlad in this situation than he thought he had. He was barely seventeen years old. It was illegal for this to happen, and he could destroy everything Vlad built for himself if he really wanted to. And even if he were eighteen, it would be pretty bad for his reputation if anyone knew what they had done together. His parents would hate Vlad, regardless of Danny’s age, unless Danny was over eighteen and fought for acceptance.

As embarrassing as it would be to tell people what they’d done, he could still do it if he really needed to. If Vlad became too dangerous, if he hurt him in some horrific way, it would always be an option. 

“I want to kiss you.” Danny said shakily. 

Vlad grabbed Danny by the shoulders and maneuvered him around so Danny could face him. The teen immediately flinched when he realized Vlad’s eyes were glowing a bright red.

“Your eyes are glowing...” Danny said breathlessly, unable to move for a moment. 

“I hadn’t even noticed...” Vlad said, surprise clear on his face. “But yours are, too...”

Danny reached up to his face in a mild panic, but Vlad caught his hand. “It’s nothing to concern ourselves with.” Then he pressed his mouth to Danny’s and kissed him as intensely as he had before, swiping his tongue over the boy’s lips as a silent request for entry.

Danny moaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Vlad’s neck, eagerly opening his mouth. And suddenly he wasn’t thinking anymore, and his core pulsed so intensely he felt it everywhere in his body. Every inch of where Vlad touched him felt so heated he almost thought he was going to burn from the inside out, but somehow it felt so _good_.

He bucked his hips forward, and Vlad groaned into the kiss. Sparks of pleasure were sent up Danny’s spine. He never wanted this to end. He wanted it to go on forever. He pushed his hands under Vlad’s suit jacket and ran his fingers all over the man’s chest and sides, once again marveling at the firm muscle he felt there. Vlad’s ghost form was broader, but even as a human his body held an impressive power. 

Danny pushed Vlad’s jacket off his shoulders, and the man grinned before he used his powers to phase the piece of clothing off. He then grabbed Danny’s shirt and phased that off as well. The teen gasped at his sudden shirtless-ness and pulled away from the kiss as he crossed his arms protectively.

Vlad pulled his arms away and looked Danny up and down, a hungry look on his face. “You are absolutely stunning, Daniel... you should show more skin sometimes.” 

Danny let out an embarrassing squeak. He’d never been super confident with his body. Even when he went swimming, he tended to wear a tank top along with his swim trunks. He was barely ever shirtless in front of anyone, ever. Not unless he was just changing his shirt super quick in the locker rooms, and even then he tried to change in a stall if he had the time to.

As Vlad continued to drool over him, Danny became more frustrated by the second. He reached forward and phased Vlad’s stupid button up off and immediately started running his hands through the silver hairs, much like he had done before. Vlad only chucked at him, like he was being silly. If Danny’s mind weren’t so clouded in that moment, he probably would have punched the man for doing so.

Vlad leaned forward and began kissing at Danny’s neck again. The boy’s eyes glazed over with pleasure and he let out a desperate moan as he clung to Vlad’s shoulders, trying to pull him closer. Vlad trailed down to Danny’s chest, kissing and sucking and nipping at his skin as the boy’s mind blanked out with pleasure. Whatever Vlad was doing, he never wanted it to end.

But then Vlad’s mouth was right over his nipple, and the man’s teeth closed lightly at the peaked nub. Danny gasped and arched his back. “V-Vlad!” He yelped in protest. He’d heard about people doing this, but he hadn’t known it would feel _that_ good. It was a little startling.

Vlad swirled his tongue, and it felt like it went straight to his dick. He panted where he sat on Vlad’s lap, face screwed up in pleasure. Nothing had ever felt this good before. He was almost certain that if Vlad kept this up any longer, he’d come in his pants, and that would be so embarrassing. So he had to push Vlad back. The man whined in protest— a sound that Danny would’ve never expected to hear in his entire life.

He ignored Vlad’s look of confused frustration and instead phased Vlad’s pants and underwear off as fast as he could. Thankfully, doing so seemed to distract Vlad enough to make him forget about his previous frustrations as his dick stood proudly before them.

Danny wrapped his hands around the appendage and stroked it purposefully, mouth watering at the sight as he imagined Vlad doing this to him as well. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to even touch his own dick. He was still terrified. He’d been terrified yesterday, too, he just hadn’t known it. And that fear was enough to give him just enough control to not allow anything he didn’t want to happen. 

“Oh, Daniel...” Vlad groaned, staring down at the hand that was moving up and down his dick. “God, you’re so beautiful... so good for me...”

Danny felt his head grow just a little foggier at those words. He wanted to hear more. “V-Vlad...”

“You’re doing so well, Little Badger...” Vlad said, cupping Danny’s cheek before he pulled him into another kiss. Danny’s hand tightened slightly around Vlad’s cock, moving a little faster and the older half-ghost wrapped his arms around Danny’s shoulder and pulled him close, nearly causing the boy to let go.

“Let me touch you, Daniel.” Vlad pulled back from the kiss slightly. “I want to make you feel good... I want to show you—"

Danny kissed Vlad again, stopping him from saying any more. The man was distracted by it for a while, but eventually managed to pull away again, breathless. “Daniel...” He said.

“Vlad...” Danny said back, equally as breathless. He just had to distract the man a little longer. 

Vlad groaned and grabbed Danny’s shoulders, trying to stop him. But Danny kept going. “Daniel, if you don’t stop I’ll come before—"

Danny kissed him again, battling Vlad for dominance. It was so easy to distract Vlad when they were both like this, their cores pulsating in sync with each other, making everything seem so hazy and good. Danny just had to distract him a little longer. And hopefully, Vlad wouldn’t catch on to what he was doing and attempt to do the same thing. 

But then Vlad was tensing against him, a low groan escaping through the kiss as he came. Danny could feel come dribbling down his hand as he milked the man through his orgasm. When he was finally spent, he let go and when to stand up, but Vlad was faster. He lifted Danny into his arms and threw him down on the bed, quickly moving to crawl over him.

Danny felt that same clear spot in the clouds that he’d felt last time after Vlad came first, and he latched onto it with every fiber of his being. Vlad pressed his hand onto Danny’s crotch, and the boy gasped at the pleasure that coursed through every inch of his body. It felt so good that he almost lost that clear spot, but he managed to barely latch onto it again.

“It’s your turn, Daniel, and this time I _will_ have my way with you.” Vlad said possessively. Danny could feel the determination and hope Vlad felt through the connection in their cores.

Before anything could pull him under, he placed a hand on Vlad’s face, feeling the coarse stubble on his cheek. He was distracted by it momentarily, enjoying himself as he caressed the side of the man’s face. When he noticed Vlad’s red eyes staring down at him with a strange fondness held inside of them, he froze, remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

His dick was so hard it _hurt_. But still, he was too terrified. Vlad must have sensed something in Danny then through the connection, because in the next moment the man had grabbed his wrist tightly, and fear etched itself into his features.

“Don’t do this again.” Vlad pleaded, a little panicked. 

Danny felt tears gather in his eyes as his core pulsed in protest. “I’m sorry.”

“Daniel—!” 

Danny phased through the bed and floor before could hear anymore. On his way down, he transformed into Phantom and flew as fast as he could into the basement. His core vibrated in protested, trying to tug him back to Vlad as he flew through the portal and into the Ghost Zone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danny's not okay lol. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Aching For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clockwork reveals to Danny why his and Vlad's cores are acting up. Danny relays the information to Vlad and they're both shocked and are trying to figure out how to make it work. Also, more smut. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FFFF so hereeee we go again. I love Clockwork, he's in the chapter lol. He won't be back for a while after this, but he'll make another appearance eventually.

“I just don’t get it!” Danny ranted.

He was pacing around the clock tower, his hands moving animatedly as he spoke. He’d been ranting for about five minutes already as Clockwork watched him with an amused expression. He didn’t interrupt because he knew Danny would wear himself down soon enough.

“Like— does he really think that mentioning the fact that I could literally ruin his life if I wanted to will make me trust him?!” Danny’s voice rose in volume as he pulled at his hair. “I mean, I know our cores are drawn to each other, but that doesn’t mean anything! We’re enemies! And he’s in love with my _mom,_ for Ancient’s sake! How does he expect me to want to do anything like that with him if he’s into _my mom?!_ Ugh!”

Danny almost ran into the wall when he wasn’t looking, but caught himself before that happened. He glared at the wall like it had personally offended him before he turned on the heels of his white boots and started pacing again. Frustration was burning through him as he thought about Vlad. He was too agitated to float right now, and feeling the ground thump under his feet with every step made him feel grounded (no pun intended). 

“It’s just— it’s _gross,_ right?” His voice held doubt and insecurity. He hadn’t _fully_ explained what they’d done together (that was far too horrifying of a conversation to have with Clockwork), but he was sure the ghost already knew. He knew _everything,_ whether he wanted to or not. He ruled over time. “We... we did all that _stuff,_ and in the meantime he’s probably fantasizing over my _mother!”_

Clockwork was literally the only person he felt he could confide in right now. The ghost knew _everything_ already, so it’s not like could hide it anyway. And who better to vent to than someone who already knew? The only thing he’d have to worry about was whatever ugly truths he’d tell him. But at least he’d be honest. If Clockwork knew what was going on, he wanted to know the truth. 

“Would you rather he thought of _you_ that way?” Clockwork said, still endlessly amused by the young halfa.

Danny froze, heat rising to his face as his core hummed in agreement and hope. It was weird how his core was starting to feel it’s _own,_ separate emotions. He cleared his throat and slowly turned to glare at Clockwork. _“No.”_

Clockwork chuckled at him. “You can’t lie to me, Danny Phantom.”

Danny rolled his eyes and looked away. “Okay... maybe you’re right.” He said reluctantly. “But it’s just my stupid core that wants this, not _me!”_

“Our cores are the embodiment of who were are.” Clockwork said. “This is no different for you, despite your half-human status. Your core is basically your soul, and sometimes it knows what you want before even _you_ know what you want. Your mind and core are connected, even if they aren’t always immediately on the same page.”

Danny crossed his arms defensively, not liking what he was hearing at all. “But why now?! I’ve been close to Vlad before, and I’ve never felt... I’ve never...” He huffed. “It’s never hurt before. I’ve never felt like I wanted him like that. If anyone, I’ve always wanted to one day ask Sam out, or something.”

He realized how untrue that felt as it came out of his mouth, and it left a bitter taste on his tongue. He’d never _really_ felt that way about Sam. He only thought about getting with her because everyone else thought they should. He’d thought that, maybe one day, when he was older and more mature and not dealing with ghosts constantly, he’d have more time to fall in love with her. But now he wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen anymore. 

Clockwork sighed. “You’re maturing and changing. Things work a little differently for half ghosts than they do for normal ghosts. You’re still alive, which means your anatomy as a halfa is trying to figure itself out. Right now, your core is finally starting to mature and adapt to accommodate your human half.”

Danny furrowed his brow. “You mean like... like _ghost puberty,_ or something?”

Clockwork laughed, a smile splitting across his face as he shifted into his elderly form. “That would be a decent way to put it, I suppose.”

“Great!” Danny threw his hands up in frustration as he started to pace once again. “So now I have to go through puberty again! And _this time_ it sucks more than normal puberty! At least normal puberty doesn’t _force_ me to get off with my arch-nemesis, because if I don’t it’ll hurt me! This is ridiculous!” He was too worked up to even realize how blunt he’d just been. 

Danny clenched his fists at his sides as he turned back to Clockwork, a thought coming to mind. His eyes widened. “W-wait... why hasn’t Vlad gone through something like this?! He’s been a halfa for twenty-something years!”

“Plasmius is new to this as well because you weren’t old enough until now. Your cores are linked. They react to each other, and you both needed to be mature enough before it happened to either of you.” Clockwork explained, hoping that Danny would understand. 

Danny placed a hand over his chest, right over his core. He could feel it buzzing under his fingertips. Concern washed over Danny’s face. “What are you saying, Clockwork? How long have our cores been linked?”

“They were always destined to be linked.” Clockwork said slowly, like he was trying to give the boy time to process. “This is because you are soulmates.”

Danny’s face paled. “What.”

“You and Vladimir are soulmates.” Clockwork reiterated.

Danny just stared at him for a moment in horror. “D-do you mean, like... metaphorically?” He squeaked out.

“I mean literally.” Clockwork said. “All ghosts have a soulmate. We don’t talk about it often because it’s supposed to be common knowledge. Though, I suppose your situation is different.”

“If soulmates are common knowledge, why couldn’t Vlad find anything when he researched what was happening to us?” Danny asked, tone weary as he tried to dig anything up that could disprove what Clockwork was telling him. Because there was just no fucking way Vlad was his soulmate.

Evil, sadistic, vampire-like, world-dictating, mother-napping, child-torturing _Vlad Masters_ could _not_ be his soulmate. 

“Because ghosts don’t have...” The time ghost hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “... _certain urges,_ such as what you described... when they find their soulmate. While we can reproduce on very rare occasions, like Box Ghost and Lunch Lady’s daughter, Boxed Lunch, it doesn’t happen often, nor is it needed because ghosts come into existence in many different ways.” 

Clockwork waved his staff around to help his point as many ghosts showed up on the screens around them. They were moments in time when ghosts manifested in all sorts of ways, either through the death of a human or a creature, or through powerful emotions felt in moments of disparity, or even random, blinding lights that came out of nowhere. Some of the ways that ghosts came about could never be explained. 

“But... but how can we be soulmates?” Danny asked, dread filling his heart. “He’s in love with my mom... he... is it because we’re the only two halfas? Well, besides Dani, anyway...”

Clockwork placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder as a way to comfort him. “It’s not because of that. Your cores just happened to be compatible. You didn’t feel it when you first met, but for twenty years, Vlad’s core already knew one day that you would exist. And it waited.”

“But...” Danny felt tears gathering in his eyes again. “He’s in love with my mom... and he... he’s hurt me so many times...”

Clockwork pulled Danny into a hug, the first one he’d ever given the boy, but definitely not the last. “While Plasmius’ past actions are not currently worthy of forgiveness, things will change.”

“What if it’s not enough?” Danny sniffled as he hugged Clockwork back. “What if I’m just stuck with him, and he’s still terrible...?”

“He won’t be.” Clockwork said.

Danny buried his face further into Clockwork’s chest. “And if he is?”

Clockwork sighed. “Then Vladimir Plasmius will suffer.”

At that ominous promise, Danny felt his core ache.

* * *

The next morning, Danny woke up to the sound of his mother’s gentle voice coaxing him awake. He’d decided to sleep in the living room when he got home, just in case Vlad came back to see him. He could sense that the man wasn’t there anymore, but it would probably make the man more reluctant to seek him out if he discovered that Danny wasn’t in his room.

He skipped out on breakfast because he was running late. He hadn’t had his phone on him to wake him up, and his parents hadn’t known that he was in the living room. His mom tried to offer to call him in late so he could eat, but he told her it was fine. He missed enough school as it was with ghost fighting (not that he could tell her that). 

He gathered his stuff from his room and said goodbye to his parents. Halfway down the street, he ducked into an alleyway and transformed so he could get to school faster. He stayed invisible as he flew through the air, glad that being half-dead had its advantages sometimes.

When he got to school, he flew into the boy’s bathroom and checked to make sure all the stalls were empty before he transformed back. That’s when he remembered that his friends had gone on patrol for him the previous night. In a panic, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He nearly dropped it in his panic, but he managed to grab it firmly before that happened. 

He had four missed messages.

**_ Techno Geek: We’re still doing great Danny. No major ghost are attacking.  _ **

**_ Techno Geek: Danny? You there bud? _ **

**_ Vegetarian Goth: Maybe he finally went to sleep?  _ **

**_ Techno Geek: yea hopefully! He needs the rest. Sorry Danny but we’re gonna hold off on the updates for the rest of patrol since you’re asleep. Cya tomorrow! _ **

Danny let out a breath of relief before pocketing his phone and exiting the bathroom to go find his friends. Part of him wanted to tell his friends the real reason he went MIA last night, but he didn’t know if he should. It was terribly embarrassing, and he could only imagine just how angry Sam would be. She hated Vlad so much that Danny actually sometimes questioned whether or not she thought of herself as Vlad Plasmius’ arch-nemesis, instead of it being him. 

And she would _not_ be happy if she found out that Vlad was apparently his _soulmate_. He didn’t know what exactly that meant. He knew that it was a term used mostly in fiction romance novels, where two people were connected by their souls, or destined to be together or something. Or like... perfectly made for each other. It wasn’t actually real, just something made up for entertaining the hopeless romantics of the world.

Danny rubbed his face in frustration as he made his way down the hallway. His judgment was clearly clouded if his core _thought_ he was supposed to be in love with Vlad or something. In response to those thoughts, his core gave a brief, painful pulse, and he groaned, placing a hand over his chest as he attempted to quell it. 

He wondered if Vlad had felt that one, too. Sometimes his core acted up when he wasn’t even thinking about Vlad, so maybe that was him sensing Vlad’s own core being in distress. Their emotions were communicated to each other occasionally, which made him feel exposed and vulnerable. It didn’t happen often, and the emotions that were broadcasted between them weren’t usually very strong, but still. He couldn’t believe he and Vlad were so intricately connected. It felt... somehow wrong and right at the same time.

“Yo, Danny!” Tucker’s voice called down the hallway. Danny turned to see him and Sam approaching him.

“Hey, guys.” Danny waved and smiled at them forcefully. “Was... patrol alright?” He asked once they were close enough that nobody else would hear.

“It was a breeze, just like we said it would be.” Sam said, smiling reassuringly. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah...” Danny said, rubbing at the back of his neck.

Sam and Tucker both exchanged a _look_. Danny looked at them in confusion, not understanding what happened. They were obviously looking at each other for a reason, but he didn’t know what.

“Danny...” Tucker started slowly, like he was talking to a little kid who just said he didn’t steal the chocolate cake even though there was chocolate all over his face. “Are you okay? Did anything happen last night?”

Danny’s face turned scarlet. How did they figure him out so easily? _“Whaaat?_ No. All I did was get some well-deserved sleep. Thanks guys, I’m really glad you offered to take up patrol duty last night, it really helped a lot!” 

He _did_ get decent sleep, considering what happened last night. So at least that wasn’t a lie. After his visit with Clockwork, he’d gotten home around 11 PM and passed out on the couch right away, so he’d gotten about eight or nine good hours in. 

“Dude, you’re a terrible liar.” Sam placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her violet eyes at him. “What happened?”

Danny glared at her for a long moment, hating that they were so good at reading him. Usually, he’d tell them what was wrong. They were so open with each other, especially after all of the life-or-death situations they’d been through together. But this was something that he absolutely would not share. But they already knew _something_ happened. So if push came to shove, he at the very least wouldn’t tell them everything. More specifically, he would not, under any circumstances, be sharing any of their sexual encounters. 

It would absolutely _kill_ him if they knew that part. 

Danny frowned before responding. “Fine. Something _did_ happen.”

“Was it Vlad again?” Tucker asked with a heavy sigh. None of them liked when Vlad was involved. “You mentioned him yesterday.”

Danny groaned and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He hadn’t even decided if he wanted to tell his best friends what was going on, and already, they were backing him into a corner. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” He spun on his heels and continued on his way towards his locker, silently fuming. 

“Did he try to kidnap you again, or was it another one of those ‘trying to get your mom’s attention’ situations?” Tucker asked as they both followed him.

“Neither.” Danny said. Maybe he wouldn’t have to say it. Maybe he would make them say it, and he’d either confirm or deny it. And that was even assuming they’d even figure it out. 

“Was it another cloning situation?” Sam asked.

“Nope.”

“Did he sic Val on you again?” Tucker asked.

“Nada.”

“Devious plot to kill your dad?”

“No.”

They stopped at Danny’s locker and the young halfa made sure nobody was watching as he phased his stuff into his locker and retrieved the stuff he needed for his first class. He honestly couldn’t even remember the combination for his locker. He’d never unlocked it. 

“Hmm...” Sam tapped her chin in thought. “Did he try to take over the world?”

Danny laughed. “Not this time.”

“Did he just beat you up or something?” Tucker grabbed Danny by the chin, and began moving his head around like he was looking for injuries. “You don’t look beat up.”

“He didn’t beat me up.” Danny deadpanned, swatting his friend’s hand away with a small glare. 

“Did he...” Sam thought for a moment. “Somehow threaten your friends or family, like he did when he infected Tuck and I with ecto-acne?”

“Nooope.” Danny said as they all began making their way to first period. 

“Is he making stupid rules again as mayor?” Tuck asked, his posture slouching slightly at just the thought. 

“Thankfully not.”

“Was it a prank?” Sam asked, amusement in her tone for the first time since this conversation had started. “What’re you gonna do to get him back?”

“I _wish_ it was a prank.” Danny sighed, hunching his shoulders slightly. 

“Danny, can’t you just tell us?” Tucker whined dramatically, his shoulders sinking down further. “I wanna know what he did!”

“Trust me, you really don’t,” Danny said as he glanced at his friend tiredly. “But if you guess it, I’ll tell you.”

“C’mon, man, just give us a hint!” Tucker said. “We gotta at least know how to fight back when the time comes.”

“We’re not fighting Vlad,” Danny said, dragging a hand down his face. “And what happened is something you would never imagine would happen.” He looked at his friends meaningfully. “There. That’s two hints.”

“Something that we’d never imagine...” Sam said, mostly to herself. “So it’s either something really weird, or really... _really_ weird.”

“It was definitely really, _really_ weird. Maybe even with an extra really.” Danny said, his voice wavering slightly.

“Did he... hurt you somehow?” Sam placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder and stopped him. Both of his friends looked at him in worry. “Like... maybe... emotionally? You can tell us, Danny. We’re here for you, no matter what you’re going through.”

Danny felt himself shrinking under their gazes as he looked down at the floor. “It wasn’t his fault...”

“What wasn’t his fault?” Tucker asked in a concerned voice. 

Danny sighed shakily, his shoulders slumping. “For some reason, our cores like...” He paused, raising his hands up like he was somehow trying to show them what he meant. All of them ignored how his hands trembled in front of them. “They intertwined.” He clasped his hands together, his fingers interlocked to demonstrate what he meant. “It’s not his fault. It’s not my fault... it’s just... something to do with ghost cores.”

“Danny, what does that even mean?” Sam asked, sounding angry now. Danny winced, already feeling embarrassed. He hated this. He hated that he had to tell his friends about this. “What do you _mean_ your cores are _intertwined?”_

“We’re connected...” Danny said dejectedly, swaying on his feet slightly. He just wanted to phase through the ceiling and fly as far away as possible. His eyes watered slightly. “Clockwork said we’re _soulmates_...”

At the words, Danny’s core gave another longing, painful pulse, and he groaned, clenching his shirt. He almost lost his balance with that one, it hurt so much. He had to lean back against the lockers for support. 

“Danny? What’s wrong, are you okay?” Tucker asked, grabbing him by the shoulders so he wouldn’t fall. Concern crossed his face. At least he could count on Tuck to not make it too weird. “Do you need anything? I have a water bottle in my bag. And some jerky, but I hope you don't need that cause I'm saving it for lunch."

“I’m fine.” Danny said breathlessly as he winced. He straightened himself out and slowly let go of his shirt, not wanting it to wrinkle so much, or maybe even rip. He’d accidentally ripped quite a few shirts due to his inhuman strength. “Just... sometimes it... hurts...” He hesitated, sparing a glance at Sam in reluctance. “... when I think about him. I mean, like, _physically_ a lot, and only slightly mentally...”

Sam was gaping at him, unbelieving. “Soulmates aren’t real.” 

“Well, apparently they are for ghosts.” Danny shook his head. “And I was unlucky enough to get paired up with the worst ghost of them all.”

“I mean... at least it’s not the Box Ghost.” Tucker said with a shrug. 

Sam and Danny both glared at him.

_“Dude_...” Danny said in exasperation. Maybe he’d been wrong about Tucker not making things weird. 

“It’s _Vlad.”_ Sam continued for him. “How much worse can it get? Honestly, the Box Ghost would be an improvement.”

All three of them cringed.

“Okay, I take it back,” Sam said. “I feel like it would be worse if Boxy was Danny’s literal _soulmate_. Imagine hanging out in a group. Boxy would be screaming about boxes the entire time.”

“Yeah...” Danny laughed. But then he frowned. It would be so fucking weird if Vlad, an adult and his ghostly arch-nemesis, started hanging out with the three of them on the regular. But he wasn’t about to bring that up, because it definitely was never going to happen. He didn’t know what it meant to be soulmates, but he definitely wasn’t going to let it bring his guard down around Vlad. 

“Exactly! And I mean, at least Vlad is hot.” Tucker said, seemingly without fully realizing it. 

Danny almost choked on his own spit, and Sam just stared at him again, her expressions completely bewildered. 

“What?!” Tucker said defensively. “You know I’m right! That guy is a _beast_ of a man!”

Danny flushed bright red, images of Vlad’s bare chest appearing in his mind. Oh, god. Why did Tuck have to say that? This was not what he wanted to think about right now. Or ever, for that matter. 

“Tucker,” Sam said, placing a hand on his shoulder as she grinned at him playfully. “You know if you’re gay you can tell us, right?”

Tucker rolled his eyes with a groan. _“Guys!_ I’m not gay. But I’m at least confident enough to admit when another guy is attractive. If I was gay, I’d probably swoon for him. But I’m not.” Then he turned to Danny, a mischievous look in his eyes. _“Danny,_ on the other hand...”

Both friends turned to him expectantly. Danny looked back and forth between both of them before he groaned and turned around and started on his way to class again. He didn’t want to talk about this. He didn’t even know _how_ to answer. It’s not like he’s ever had a gay revelation, despite all the stuff he’d done with Vlad. He hadn’t even had the time or mental capacity to _question_ his sexuality.

There was nothing wrong with being gay, and he honestly wouldn’t mind if he was. But it was still kind of scary to think that he might not be straight like he thought he was. 

“We’re gonna be late, guys.” Danny said, changing the subject. 

“This conversation isn’t over, Danny,” Sam said with a promising tone. “I’m still confused about the whole... _soulmate_ thing.”

“Yeah, okay...” Danny sighed, really dreading that conversation.

* * *

Sam and Tucker pestered Danny all morning, even when he was fighting Skulker during third period. They whispered over the Fenton Phones while they watched him fight through the window of one of the classrooms (they hadn’t been able to slip out of class to help him this time), asking him questions about Danny’s situation with Vlad. Danny was frustrated with them, already regretting the fact that he’d told them at all.

Luckily, he was able to both fight through the pain his core radiated in his ghost form _and_ answer a few scattered questions he heard from Sam and Tuck. It was frustrating how much stuff they were asking. It was like they wanted to know every detail, especially Sam. She was really upset about the whole ‘soulmates’ thing for some reason. She kept insisting that Vlad was somehow tricking him, even though Danny knew it was real. Clockwork had said so. 

It’s not like Danny wasn’t upset about that, too— he _was_. He was immensely upset over the fact that Vlad was connected to him so intimately. Vlad was supposed to be his arch-enemy, and now he was supposedly tied to him in the most intricate way possible. And _apparently,_ they’d always been tied, they just hadn’t known it until now because he _hadn’t quite hit ghost puberty until now._

The only thing he really managed to answer while he was fighting Skulker was the fact that he couldn’t deny they were connected, even if he wanted to. His core _hurt_ when he thought about Vlad, and when they made physical contact, the pain eased. Sam tried to get more details on just how much ‘physical contact’ the two of them needed for the pain to stop. 

That was something that Danny would rather fully die before he explained to his friends. He already felt a lot of shame and helplessness about the situation. He couldn’t tell them, not with a straight face, anyway. And not without literally falling apart from the inside out. So he avoid the question every time it came up. 

When lunch rolled around, Danny decided that he definitely did not want to be cornered by his friends the entire period. He needed a break. He felt suffocated. As great as his friends were, sometimes they could be a little overbearing and overprotective. Sometimes they even rivaled Jazz on that. 

This is something that only started after Danny became a halfa. They hadn’t worried about him so much before then because there had been nothing to worry about. But since he became half-dead, he started getting hurt a lot and it worried them a lot. Danny could understand. Sam and Tuck got hurt sometimes, too. But right now the last thing he needed was his friends mothering him and interrogating him. He needed space, he needed to breathe. He needed to think for himself before he got anyone else’s input. 

Danny, instead of going to lunch, decided to fly up to the roof of the school and sit for a while. He thought about Vlad while he was up there, trying to sort out all his scrambled thoughts. The man hadn’t been able to find anything on their ‘condition’ because he didn’t know that they were soulmates. Danny only knew because Clockwork told him. He’d have to tell him. That way, Vlad would get the chance to think for himself as well. 

The last thing Danny wanted was to go near Vlad, but if it meant figuring this shit out, he’d do it. He’d tell him what Clockwork told him. He wasn’t gonna let Vlad touch him, though. That would only lead to their cores freaking out if they tried to separate. 

With a heavy sigh, Danny took off into the sky and flew his way towards Vlad’s house in the richer side of Amity Park. It was a five-minute flight, so thankfully that meant he could probably still make it back before lunch ended if they had this conversation quick enough. And he could get back even quicker if he tried to break his top speed again. 

Outside of Vlad’s house, Danny could already sense that Vlad was inside. He felt confusion through the link between their cores, and it caused him to wince in sympathy. He did keep taking off in the middle of... sex? Sexual acts? So of course Vlad would be confused to sense him nearby so soon after what happened. It was just last night. 

Danny shook his head. He shouldn’t think about that right now. The young half ghost phased through the walls and followed the direction his core subtly guided him to go. It was strange, following his core like that. He didn’t know _how_ he knew which way his core wanted him to go, he just did. It just... felt right, to go certain directions.

When Danny found Vlad, the man was standing in one of his living rooms, looking around in confusion as a book hung from the tips of his fingers. He was dressed more relaxed than usual, with only his white button-up, usual black slacks, and socks. And he was wearing _reading glasses._

The man’s eyes widened upon seeing him, and Danny watched as both of their ghost senses went off, red and blue mist rising into the air. 

“Daniel?” Vlad asked questioningly, speaking very slowly and carefully like he worried he might scare him off. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have school right now?”

“It’s lunchtime.” Danny said, letting his booted feet touch the ground. His core was starting to get annoying with its eagerness, so he let his transform wash over him. It felt only a little relief in this form. 

“It’s still considered skipping.” Vlad said, his voice strained slightly. He sounded uncomfortable. 

Danny heavily sat down in one of the plush red chairs in the room as Vlad just stared at him. “I skip all the time. Ghost fighting doesn’t exactly account for school hours. Nobody’ll even care.” He was already a disappointment to all his teachers, he thought but didn’t say. 

“I’m surprised you haven’t gotten expelled for your reoccurring tardiness.” Vlad said in a dull tone.

Danny glared at him, his eyes flashing green in his anger. Vlad was treading a thin line right now. There was only so much Danny would put up with in their current situation. “If you’re just going to insult me for things I can’t control, I’ll leave.”

Vlad sighed, reaching up to remove his reading glasses and stuff them into one of his shirt pockets. He sat down in the chair across from Danny. “Why are you here, Daniel? You seemed determined to avoid me yesterday.”

“Not that that matters to you.” Danny grumbled.

Vlad frowned, looking guilty. But he didn’t say anything. He seemed to know that there was nothing he could say in that moment that would make Danny feel better. He'd been pushy yesterday, even though Danny had clearly been completely uncertain. There wasn't anything he could say to change that. But still, he knew he messed up. Danny had run from him again.

“I’m here because you need to change your research topic,” Danny said. “What have you been looking for so far?”

“Unexplained sexual urges originating from a ghost’s core,” Vlad said, doing a vague gesture with his hand. “And I can’t find anything. All I’ve learned is that ghosts are capable of sex and reproduction, but it’s not common because they don’t feel the urge to like humans do. Our biology doesn’t match a ghost’s completely, so the knowledge is useless.”

Danny cringed slightly. He hated everything that just came from Vlad’s mouth. “Yeah, um... forget about the whole... sexual aspect of this whole thing, okay? There’s nothing on it cause we’re the only ones like this.”

“And how would you know anything about this? Have you done your own research?” Vlad asked, sounding hopeful for any kind of explanation for what was happening to them. Seemed like he wanted to know just as bad as Danny did. 

Danny blushed and looked away. “I mean, kind of... but it was more like I went to complain to Clockwork and he explained to me what was happening to us, somewhat.”

Vlad’s eyes almost literally bugged. “You— you talked to _the_ Master of Time? You actually spoke to him? He’s not a myth? He’s _real?”_

“Yeah?” Danny said uncertainly, surprised by Vlad’s reaction. He knew that not everyone knew Clockwork, or even knew that he existed, but he’d been certain that Vlad would at least know he was real. “We’re friends.”

“Your capabilities for befriending certain ghosts will never cease to amaze me.” Vlad said, staring at Danny in shock.

Danny laughed nervously. “What can I say? I’m just a good people-person.” Even though he definitely _wasn’t_ a people-person. He was the opposite. A hermit, more accurately. He wanted to hide in his bed and never come out currently. 

“What... what did he say about this whole thing?” Vlad asked, clearly trying to focus on what was important, rather than nerding-out over the Master of Time himself. That was a topic for a later discussion. 

Danny looked down. “You should... look into ghost soulmates, instead of the other thing.”

Vlad blinked at him. “What.”

"Exactly my reaction." Danny laughed. The similarities between their reactions were kind of jarring, honestly. 

“You’re serious?” Vlad asked.

Danny shrugged. “It’s what Clockwork told me...”

“Soulmates.” Vlad said, narrowing his eyes. “He said we were _soulmates_. You're absolutely certain?"

“Yep.” Danny said awkwardly, popping the ‘p’ sound of the word. “I can’t be any more crystal clear than that. So I’m gonna just let you sit with that information, and go back to school.”

Danny went to stand, but Vlad rose his hand to stop him. “Wait. You said this was your lunch period. Why don’t you stay and eat? It’ll be better than anything the school can serve you.”

Danny’s brows practically shot up into his hairline. “You’re... you’re inviting me to lunch?”

“Well...” Vlad said, looking awkward all of a sudden. “You’re already here, and I’m sure you’re aware of how awful school lunch can be. And I’d like... I’d like to hear more about this whole soulmates thing. Whatever you know, I want to know, too.”

Danny looked away, debating on what he should be doing. He hadn’t eaten breakfast and he doubted he’d get lunch when he got back to the school. He was still avoiding his friends. But if he stayed, there was a chance that they’d do... stuff. His core already hurt, being so close to Vlad and _not_ touching him. But he really just wanted to have a conversation with the man without it turning sexual.

“We can’t touch each other.” Danny said. “If I stay, we can’t... we can’t do that, no matter how much we— our _cores_ — want us to. You have to swear.”

Vlad nodded. “Of course, Daniel... I...” he hesitated. “I realize that I might’ve been rather pushy last night... I’m actually surprised you’re here talking to me at all.”

Danny furrowed his brows. “Well... I remembered you said you didn’t really find anything when you were doing research. And since this is happening to both of us, I figured...” He shrugged. “Maybe you’d wanna know.”

“I... thank you, Daniel.” Vlad said, a little surprised. “I appreciate that you came to tell me. Even after... what’s happened between us.”

* * *

“Lobster.” Danny said, staring down at his plate incredulously. When Vlad said lunch, he thought maybe a couple of sandwiches, or maybe even some soup or something. But here he was, sitting in Vlad’s fancy dining room, with his fancy plates and silverware, with the fanciest food he’d ever laid his eyes on. 

“Yes?” Vlad said, confused. “This is lobster. What about it? I could order my chefs to make something else if you don’t like it.”

“No, no, the food is _fine_. It’s just.... this is just a normal lunch for you?” Danny said, raising a brow.

“Well, normally I have something a little lighter, but when I have company, the menu changes.” Vlad said, like this whole thing normal, like it was what everyone did all the time. Like it was common knowledge.

“And how rich are you again?” Danny asked, shaking his head down at his plate.

“I’m a _billionaire,_ Daniel.” Vlad said in annoyance. 

“God, what would you even do with all that money...” Danny said, completely aghast that Vlad couldn’t seem to realize just how much he took money for granted. Danny’s family wasn’t poor by a long shot, but since his parents worked from home, money was tight sometimes. And the fanciest food they ever ate was when they splurged a little and went to one of those Chinese places where they cooked the food in front of you. And usually, they got kicked out of places like that because his parents were always paranoid that the chefs might be possessed.

“I do a lot with my money, Daniel,” Vlad stated, but he didn’t explain. “You should eat. I called your father this morning and he informed me you skipped breakfast.”

Danny glared at Vlad as he picked up his fork. “You called my dad?”

“I was reasonably concerned, after last night.” Vlad said, avoiding Danny’s eyes. “I called him to ask about you, but after that was said and done, I got stuck in that call for an extra hour as your father rambled about some of their newer inventions. You should keep an eye on the Fenton Scrambler.”

Danny tilted his head slightly in confusion. “I haven’t heard about that one. What’s it do?”

Vlad looked mildly uncomfortable. “Just don’t let your parents shoot you with it while you’re out defending the town.”

Danny would _definitely_ keep that in mind. His parents’ inventions could do some pretty messed up things to a ghost, and the Fenton Scrambler did _not_ sound fun. 

“You’re acting super weird.” Danny said, frowning slightly. He took a bite of his food, and it was amazing. Part of that probably had to do with the fact that he hadn’t eaten anything today, but _damn,_ lobster was good. He shoveled more in his mouth before continuing. “Since when do you care this much? And why aren’t you, y’know, throwing insults at me by now?”

Vlad paused, his fork halfway to his mouth as he looked at Danny like he was being stupid. “After all that we’ve done, I think the least I can do is be civil.”

“It’s just... not like you.” Danny narrowed his eyes at him. “It’s not like you at all. It’s kind of suspicious, actually.”

“Well, perhaps think about the fact that maybe I don’t want to bully the teenager that’s made me come twice now.” Vlad said, glaring at the boy. 

Danny’s face felt hot and he immediately averted his eyes down towards his plate. He halfheartedly continued to eat, but the delicious flavor was hardly registrable anymore. He felt embarrassed now. He couldn’t believe Vlad just said that. They’d been dancing around the topic, not really clarifying exactly what they meant even when both of them knew exactly what it was.

The rest of the meal was spent in a tense silence. The only sound between them was the scraping of their forks against the plates. But to Danny, the silence was better than the conversation they’d been having. 

When they finished their meals, Vlad sighed and pushed his plate away. “I’m sorry, Daniel... let’s just talk more about this soulmate thing you mentioned.”

Danny cleared his throat and looked up again, grateful that they could get to the important aspects of this conversation. “Right, yeah, so...” The teen paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “Clockwork said that... we’re soulmates. All ghosts have soulmates, but they’re— they don’t have the urges that we have. We only have that because our anatomy is so fucked, being basically both ghosts and humans at the same time.”

“I’ve heard ghosts talk about soulmates before,” Vlad said, quietly. “I’ve even done some research in the past, but I brushed it off because I realized... or at least, I thought, that I didn’t have a soulmate. And I’ve known you for almost four years. How could we have gone four years not knowing this? Soulmates are supposed to immediately know when they find each other. As much as I would rather not think about this, our... our most recent interactions are how our first meeting should have gone if things were working in proper order.”

The thought of them ripping each other’s clothes off the day they met was too horrifying to bear, so Danny pushed that thought far, _far_ into the back of his mind. 

“Ugh,” Danny groaned, not wanting to explain this part. He rested his elbows on the table and hid his face in his hands. “I’m basically going through ghost puberty, okay?! My core apparently wasn’t _mature_ enough for yours, until recently. But Clockwork also said that we’ve always been soulmates, even before I was born. Your core was just waiting for mine, or something... and when we met, our cores immediately attached themselves to each other, but we didn’t feel it because my core wasn’t _old enough,_ or whatever...”

“That would make a lot of sense,” Vlad said, bewildered. He seemed a little flustered, and if Danny looked up he would’ve seen the slight blush that had dusted his cheeks. “I always _knew_ there was just something about you that I could feel through my core, but... I thought that was only because you’re like me.”

Danny looked at Vlad, confused. “You always felt something?”

“Yes, it was always just... like a gentle pull, guiding me towards you,” Vlad explained. A pained expression crossed his face. “But it was much more subtle before. I could barely even feel it unless I searched for it, and even then it didn’t _hurt_ like it does now. And it didn’t _arouse_ me.”

“I didn’t feel anything before.” Danny admitted sheepishly, feeling bad. 

“That was probably because your core wasn’t ready for that, just like you explained before. You and your core were far too young to understand those complex connections. You were still knew as a ghost, barely a newborn.”

“Hey!” Danny hissed. “I was fourteen.”

“But your core wasn’t,” Vlad said. “Your core was still figuring itself out. And I assume it’s finally oriented itself enough to sense my core like mine senses yours. And since our cores react to each other, everything probably just...”

“Hit us like a brick.” Danny muttered. 

Vlad chuckled. “That’s a good analogy.”

Danny sighed. “So, what do we do now?”

Vlad looked at Danny, his brows furrowed in concern. “Well, this situation is rather complicated. So... I have no idea. What do you want to do?”

Danny frowned down at the table. “I don’t know... what does it mean to be soulmates? Are we... are we supposed to be in love?”

Vlad frowned. “From my past research, the answer is yes. But... we’re halfas, so it’s unclear.”

“Well, I don’t...” Danny’s chest felt heavy, and his mouth was dry with uncertainty. “I don’t _think_ I’m in love with you...”

He’d spent so much time these past four years just _fighting_ Vlad. Being hurt by the man. Keeping him away from his family. How could he be in love with this man? And yet... he didn’t know how he felt. He knew what his core felt, and his core _really_ liked Vlad. But did _he_ like Vlad? Clockwork said that his core knew things that Danny didn’t even know yet. But how can that be true? 

Vlad’s expression was neutral. “I’m uncertain of my feelings as well. It could be... purely physical?”

Both of their cores pulsed with pain at that, denial and sadness radiating through them. Both the halfas groaned in pain and clutched at their chests with their hands.

“O-okay... okay...” Danny breathed, trying to mentally quell the pain in his chest. “Maybe not just physical, then.”

Their cores eased up slightly at those words, almost in agreement. What the actual fuck was wrong with them?

“Cheese logs, this is so infuriating!” Vlad snapped, and thankfully it wasn’t directed at Danny so much as it was directed at the situation. It was never fun when Vlad’s anger was being directed at him at this level. “I can’t just deal with this pain for the rest of my life!”

“Is this what it’s supposed to be like for ghosts _constantly?!”_ Danny growled, feeling Vlad’s frustration through the link. He wasn’t sure how much of that emotion was his own, and how much of it was Vlad’s. “How are we supposed to live like this if we can’t be apart without feeling like our cores are trying to tare themself apart trying to reach each other?!”

“It’s because you’ve both been _unsuccessful_ with mating.”

Both halfas jumped at the unexpected voice, and found themselves leaping from their seats, ready to attack whoever it was. They both spun around to see an unfamiliar ghost floating in the air in front of the entrance of the room. One that was tall, with green skin and glowing, blue eyes. He was wearing a red robe, one of which left his broad chest exposed. He had long, black hair that cascade down his shoulders, and two horns that poked out from his forehead. He had a light dusting of stubble on his chin and cheeks, and his jawline looked like it was sculpted to _perfection_.

Danny transformed, and Vlad quickly followed him. “My ghost sense didn’t go off. Did your ghost sense go off?” He hissed at Vlad.

Vlad shook his head. “No, it did not. Who are you, ghost?”

The ghost grinned, revealing his elongated fangs. “Clockwork sent me.” He said, his voice velvety and deep. “He did a little trick to hide me from your presence. Didn’t want me to be easy for Plasmius to attack.”

Danny’s hands glowed green as he took a threatening stance, not trusting anything the ghost was saying. Maybe Clockwork did send him, but the ghost could also be lying. “Answer his damn question.”

“I’m Jasper.” He said, not looking intimidated at all. “I was a sex therapist in life, and now I specialize in soulmates in death.”

Danny blushed, green coloring his cheeks as the energy faded from his hands. Clockwork _definitely_ sent him, which was kind of embarrassing. It sounded almost like Clockwork was trying to hook them up, or something. Danny wanted to curl up in a ball and hide until this conversation was over. 

Instead, he straightened and addressed the ghost before him. “And Clockwork sent you _why?”_ He was certain he already knew the answer, but he didn’t want it to be true. 

“He said you might need my help figuring things out.” Jasper grinned, looking at both halfas in a way that both made Danny feel uncomfortable, and shockingly, horrifyingly, possessive of Vlad. He didn’t like the way Jasper looked at him, and it took a lot not to growl like some kind of territorial animal.

Vlad seemed to be feeling the same, or maybe he’d somehow felt it through the link, because he quickly stepped in front of Danny, blocking him somewhat from Jasper’s view. His posture was tense and defensive, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Danny knew this from the many times they’d fought each other before. 

“We don’t need your help.” Vlad spat, baring his teeth threateningly. This conversation must be equally uncomfortable for Vlad, especially since someone else was now involved. 

Danny hated that, after seeing Vlad react to a complete stranger knowing about this, eventually he’d have to tell the man that his friends knew. That conversation would _not_ go over well. 

“Clearly, you do.” Jasper laughed, eyeing Danny over Vlad’s shoulder. The teen shrunk in on himself and crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact. “I heard some of what you two were saying. You said you feel pain when you’re apart, even after having sex? This means one or both of you was not satisfied with the encounter, and that is why your cores are so desperate for each other. Usually, when a _normal_ ghost’s emotional state is not satisfied, both them and their mate feel the same thing. Factoring in the fact that you both are still alive and have a need for sex, means that the connection has shifted some of its importance onto that as well.”

Vlad looked over his shoulder at Danny, his eyes ablaze with something the teen couldn’t place. _“Daniel_...” He sounded distressed, and slightly accusatory. Danny was the one that always fled in the heat of the moment, indirectly causing this blatant dissatisfaction between them. 

_“What?”_ Danny hissed back at him, shame gnawing at his stomach. He didn’t _want_ it to be his fault that they were in pain. He had every right to say no to letting Vlad touch him! He was terrified. He’d never done that kind of stuff, and not only was he not ready for it, but he had to do it with _Vlad,_ and _Vlad_ was his arch-nemesis. 

Couldn’t the world have mercy on him? Couldn’t he decide for himself when, where, and with whom he did that kind of stuff with? It was unfair that he was unable to grant himself that much, not unless he wanted to subject himself and Vlad to physical pain. 

Vlad sighed and turned back to Jasper, his brows furrowed low in clear discomfort and conflict. “Does it _have_ to be intercourse?” He said in a completely serious voice. Danny still wasn’t used to hearing words like that come from Vlad Plasmius’ mouth. These were conversations he literally never thought he’d have with the man. 

Jasper laughed. “Of course not. You both just need to climax in each other’s presence.”

Danny buried his face in his hands. “Oh my god, shut up. _Please,_ shut up. I don’t want to talk about this.” 

“I’m just laying out the truth, kid,” Jasper said with a shrug. “Clockwork would’ve come here himself, but I don’t think he’d wanna talk to you guys about sex.”

_“I_ don’t wanna talk about sex!” Danny snapped, balling his hands into fists in frustration. This sucked. This whole situation sucked and he wished it wasn’t happening. “I don’t even wanna have sex! How the fuck— ugh! This is so _frustrating_. I need to go back to school.”

“Daniel, wait—" Vlad grabbed Danny’s arm out of reflex to stop him from flying away, and it sent a shock through both of their systems. The contact between them was electrifying— it quelled the aching of their cores, it synchronized the vibrations and send waves of calm and want through their bodies. They both stared down in shock at Vlad’s hand, which was still wrapped around Danny’s arm.

_“Vlad!”_ Danny hissed in anger once he managed to push aside the pleasure the contact between them had inspired. But it was still was impossible to ignore how his core fluttered pleasantly in his chest. He was struggling to hold onto his anger through it, but it was manageable. Now they were stuck like this. If Vlad let go, it would _hurt,_ and they’d be forced to go back to each other anyway. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...” Vlad looked just as shocked as Danny felt, guilt crossing his face. “I promise I didn’t do that on purpose.”

Danny could feel Vlad’s guilt and sincerity through the link. He was being honest. Vlad wouldn’t have done that on purpose, especially knowing the consequences. He sighed. “I believe you... but now we’re kind of in a pickle, don’t you think? What are we supposed to do? I have school to get back to! And ghosts aren’t gonna just stop attacking!”

They were stuck together (unless they wanted to writhe in pain), and there was an unfamiliar ghost in front of them, one that could attack them or hurt them while they were so vulnerable. They’d be useless if Jasper attacked now. 

“I’m sorry,” Vlad said again. “Danny, I truly am sorry.”

“Just— don’t let go.” Danny glared. The last thing he wanted to was to be in so much pain that he fell on the floor like a helpless infant yet again.

“Right...” Vlad nodded sharply. 

Danny turned back to Jasper, narrowing his eyes at the man. “How do we even know what you’re saying is true, huh? You said you specialize in soulmates, but soulmates don’t work the same for halfas.”

“I’ve combined my knowledge from my job as a living person, with my job as a ghost.” Jasper said, grinning at them. “A lot of stuff with soulmates deals with a connection of the mind. It’s psychological because ghosts don’t have the proper bodies for it to be significantly physical. You both, however, have actual human bodies with all the same needs and hormones that a normal human needs and has. That, combined with being _soulmates,_ factors in that _sex_ is something romantic partners do.”

Danny buried his face in his free hand with a groan. Could this get any worse?

“What if we don’t want... to do anything like that?” Vlad asked, his hand tightening around Danny’s arm. “This situation isn’t exactly ideal for us, you know. Daniel is _seventeen,_ and I’m old enough to be his _father.”_

Danny had to stop himself from gagging. He never wanted to hear Vlad ask him to be his son again. Not after what they’d done together. He would literally die of a heart attack and become a full ghost if Vlad told him he still thought of him as his son. 

“While that may be true, you’re both still destined for each other. You’re bound together by your very souls.” Jasper said. “And if you don’t want to fuck each other, you don’t have to. But it’ll hurt not to. I’m sure you’re aware of that fact already.”

“Is there any way to separate our cores?” Danny asked, grasping for straws. Anything to stop this. Anything that wasn’t literally getting off with his enemy and completely ruining their previous dynamic. 

“Only if you want to die.” Jasper said, frowning at them worriedly. “And I don’t mean become full ghosts, either. I mean... you’ll unravel yourselves trying to separate your cores. You’ll cease to exist.”

Danny and Vlad both stared at him, finally realizing just how stuck together they were. There was no way out of this, not unless they wanted to keep on living. Half-living, technically. They were screwed, literally and figuratively. Nothing could stop this. 

Jasper floated closer to them, and Vlad quickly pulled Danny into his chest and backed away, glaring at the other ghost. Danny’s heart and core both pounded at the closeness, and he kept his eyes narrowed at the other ghost, still not fully trusting him. He leaned back into Vlad almost subconsciously, feeling almost safe in his arms. He tried not to read too much into it. 

Jasper chuckled as he floated around them. “Wow, you guys are really in denial. Look at you two, cuddling up all close just because you think I _might_ be a threat.”

Danny and Vlad both blushed, but didn’t move to separate. It would hurt if they did. They were all too aware of that. If things were different, Danny probably would have fled to another state by now. 

“J-Just leave us alone.” Danny stammered.

Jasper rose his hands up placatingly. “Okay, okay! But if you guys ever wanna chat again, give Clockwork a visit. He’ll send me over.” Then he winked before he disappeared into thin air with a puff of blue smoke. 

Danny let out a breath of relief once the smoke had cleared. 

“I’m going to have to work on security on my next day off.” Vlad muttered. 

“No shit, Vlad.” Danny grumbled back at him. 

“Do you have to use such foul language? Constantly?” Vlad asked in exasperation.

“You’re not my dad,” Danny said. And then he realized what had just come out of his mouth, and he cringed. “Even less so than usual...”

“I’m _inescapably_ aware.” Vlad drawled.

Danny sighed. “This is the worst week of my life...” 

Vlad turned Danny around to face him, his brows furrowed. He looked a little hurt. More hurt than when Vlad got rejected by Danny’s mother on multiple occasions. “I can’t be _that_ bad.”

“Vlad.” Danny looked at him like he was stupid. “Did you forget that you’re literally in love with my mom, and not me? How messed up is that? I have a _soulmate,_ but they’re in love with my mom! Oh, and get this! My soulmate is _also_ my worst enemy! And worst of all— I _have a soulmate!_ Human’s don’t have _soulmates!”_

And they’d be in excruciating pain if they didn’t have sex with each other, but it wasn’t like he was going to say that part out loud. 

Vlad reached up and ran his hands through Danny’s hair. The teen felt himself relax at the touch, almost unwillingly. But somehow, he was glad that it felt so good. Glad that the man was calming him down at all because he’d really been working himself up into a panic attack. He let his head fall forward into Vlad’s chest, and the man hummed in appreciation.

“I’ll get over her.” Vlad whispered, still running his hands through Danny’s snow-colored hair. 

“Settling for the second-best option, huh?” Danny joked self-deprecatingly, letting out a pained laugh. God, he hated this. He hated that it felt so good when it shouldn’t. 

“No, Daniel.” Vlad sighed. “You’re the first, and only option... I just never saw it until now.”

Danny frowned into Vlad’s chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Vlad tensed. “Well, if you’re my soulmate, shouldn’t that default you to option one? And, honestly, shouldn’t it also make you the only option?”

Danny felt uncomfortable, now that they were discussing this like they were already together. They _weren’t_ together. Not really, at least. They were soulmates, but what did that _really_ mean? They were supposed to be enemies. They were supposed to hate each other, but now they’re stuck in this mess that didn’t make any sense, and it made Danny want to rip his hair out.

He pulled back from Vlad as far as he could while still touching the man, and he stared at him seriously, wanting to get his message across as clearly as possible. “We’re not together. And being soulmates doesn’t make up for all the shit you’ve done in the past.”

Vlad looked away, and Danny could suddenly feel just how uncomfortable that made the man feel. This core link was starting to become very annoying, very fast. He didn’t want Vlad to ever know how he was feeling on the inside. He’d conditioned himself to be closed off from Vlad in that sense, never wanting to expose his vulnerabilities to his worst enemy. And now they were being broadcasted through the link between their cores. 

“I know.” Vlad said after a long while of Danny waiting. “But in light of recent events, I’d like... to make up for it.”

“Why?” Danny asked, hating that he could feel Vlad’s honesty through the link. He wanted to hate the man. He wanted to argue that Vlad could never change, because Vlad was so stubborn, so stuck in his ways, so _evil_. But he felt the genuine hope through their cores, the sincerity that lingered in the man’s mind. 

“Because you’re my soulmate.” Vlad said, his expression softening. 

Danny wanted to scream. He wanted to fly away and just think by himself for a bit, but he was stuck here. With _Vlad,_ who was acting all sappy and sweet, and it was _frustrating_. Vlad must have felt his anger through the link, because just as quickly as his expression had softened, it tensed again and he looked uncomfortable.

“Are you angry because of something I said?” Vlad asked.

Danny clenched his teeth, trying to calm himself down as he felt waves of worry and curiosity coming from Vlad. They’d never acknowledged the feelings they shared with each other, and it made him uncomfortable that Vlad was doing it now. “Why can I feel your emotions so much? It’s like... it’s like you’re in my head, and it’s frustrating.”

“The connection has gotten stronger since the start, I suppose...” Vlad said.

“How much stronger is it going to even get?” Danny said, desperate to find some sort of loophole out of this. “Will we hear each other’s thoughts soon, too? I don’t want you in my head like that!”

“Daniel, I’m just as clueless about this as you are,” Vlad said, sounding mildly exasperated. “Like you said, this isn’t how it works for ghosts. This... this has never happened before. We’re the only ones who have _ever_ been through this before.”

“Why does it have to be _us?”_ Danny asked, his voice breaking as tears filled his eyes. “Why does it have to be _you?”_

“Daniel...” Vlad said. And Danny didn’t have to feel it through the connection to know just how hurt Vlad felt by what he said. But right now he was too blinded with panic to care.

“You’ve hurt me so much before... you tried to kill my dad the first time we met!” Danny yelled, grabbing Vlad by the lapels of his suit jacket. “You’ve thrown me through walls, electrocuted me, kidnapped me, and even—even experimented on me! And you’re my _soulmate,_ Vlad! How cruel is that? How cruel could the world be to make _you_ my soulmate after everything you’ve done?!”

Tears started streaming down Danny’s face and his knees were starting to shake. Vlad grabbed his arms, barely keeping him up. Danny felt himself transform back into his human form, unable to keep it up. Vlad hesitantly allowed his own transformation to wash over him. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Vlad said. “I’m sorry for everything. I’m so sorry, Daniel.” He rose a hand, caressing Danny’s cheek lightly, wiping away some of the tears. “I’ll do anything to make up for it... just say the word, and whatever it is, I’ll do it. I promise, Little Badger.”

Danny shook his head, pulling his face away from Vlad’s hand. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do.” Vlad insisted. “I have so much money and power. I can do anything. I can buy you anything, I can literally bend the law in your favor if you want. I can help you fend off ghosts from the town, I can train you, teach you anything you want to know, and you won’t even have to betray your father.”

Danny frowned up at the man. “I don’t care about _things,_ Vlad. I don’t care about money, and I don’t want you to bend the law for me. I-I’m fine without all of that.”

“Then what do you want?” Vlad asked, grabbing Danny’s shoulders and pulling him close. 

“Can you stop trying to kill my dad?” Danny asked, staring up at Vlad as tears still slowly trickled down his cheeks. “Can you stop being an asshole? Can you stop trying to take over the freaking world and trying to control everyone and everything around you?”

Vlad opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He froze for a moment, and Danny could feel the surprise and uncertainty through their increasingly obnoxious connection. “That’s... that’s what you want? _All_ that you want?”

Danny sighed shakily, letting his head crash into Vlad’s chest. “It’s all I can think of at the moment... you’ve done a lot of terrible things to me in the past.”

Vlad wrapped his arms around Danny. Both of their cores shuttered with arousal at the proximity. “It’s not an easy request... none of those are...”

“It’s not as hard as you think. You’re just stubborn.” Danny mumbled. “It’s easier to love than it is to hate.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Vlad said dully. “I’ve hated your father for so long...”

Danny tensed against him. “I know... but still, it’s exhausting to hate as much as you do...”

Vlad frowned slightly. “Do you hate me, Little Badger?”

Danny tightened his hold on Vlad, as if reassuring him. “I’ve never... _hated_ you. You’re the only other halfa, meaning you’re the only one who could ever understand what it’s like, even if you turned out to be my worst enemy. I’ve hated you in blind moments of rage, but I’ve always calmed down afterward, so the feeling would never stick. But I can tell you, with confidence, that I’ve strongly disliked you since the day you tried to kill my dad...”

“I won’t try to kill Jack anymore...” Vlad said, reluctance clear in his tone. 

“Yeah?” Danny let out a breath of relief that he hadn’t even known he’d been holding. Was this real? The age-old argument, the fight that scared Danny the most when it came to Vlad, was finally settled? Vlad wouldn’t try to kill his dad anymore? 

“Well, I can’t kill my soulmate’s father, now I can I?” Vlad said. 

“I guess not...” Danny giggled for a moment. But then he frowned again. “But what about the other stuff?”

Vlad sighed dramatically. “What’s so wrong with taking over the world? It’s not like I’m going to _destroy_ it. I want to rule it!”

Danny pulled back slightly, disappointed. “You’re too selfish and power-crazy to rule the world in a healthy way.”

Vlad glared at him. “I am _not—"_

“Don’t.” Danny held up a finger to stop him. “Don’t even try to deny it. You’re selfish and the ‘power’ you already have goes to your head too much.”

Vlad looked scandalized, and if Danny weren’t so upset he probably would’ve attempted to take a picture of his expression so he could laugh at it later. “I’m the _mayor,_ which—"

“You’ve abused that power by making rules for the soul purpose of hurting and blackmailing me.” Danny cut him off again sternly. He was about to continue, but he suddenly realized that his core hadn’t acted up for a while. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out why. Then he realized that Vlad’s arm was slightly wrapped around him, his fingers drawing circles into his hip in repetitive, slow motions. “Vlad, what are you doing?”

Vlad furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment before he realized what he was doing as well and stopped moving. He didn’t pull away because that would cause pain, but he did move his hand to a more appropriate place, trailing his fingers up his back and to his shoulder. Danny’s core ached at the loss. “Sorry, I hadn’t realized.”

Danny shivered despite himself, remembering that the only way they could get out of this was to do _stuff_. And apparently, if he didn’t want his core to freak out afterward, they both had to be ‘satisfied.’ As a hormonal teenage boy, it was torture enough to leave before he finished each time, but an even deeper part of him was too horrified and embarrassed to allow Vlad to see him like that. 

“Daniel...” Vlad said, pulling him from his thoughts. “I will think about your requests. I’ve... I’ve had these plans for _years_. It won’t be easy to just drop them. I don’t even know if I want to.”

“I know you don’t want to...” Danny said. “You’re _Vlad_. You never let anything go... you’re stubborn.”

Vlad growled and tightened his hold on Danny’s shoulder. “I’m trying to make an effort in your favor.”

Danny could feel the hurt through Vlad’s core despite the obvious display of anger Vlad was trying to show. The teen sighed, letting himself lean into Vlad, almost like his core was trying to soothe the hurt he’d caused. “I know, Vlad... I’m sorry...”

Heat seared through Danny’s core, traveling down between his legs. He groaned at the feeling, his mind clouding with arousal and want. Vlad’s hand on his shoulder suddenly felt electrifying. Vlad was hunching over slightly, his eyes squeezed shut and his hands tightening even more. 

“This’ll only get worse if we don’t...” Vlad trailed off.

“I know!” Danny hissed, but it was clear that it wasn’t directed at Vlad. He was just frustrated with the situation. “B-but I still don’t wanna...”

“Daniel,” Vlad said, suddenly sinking down into one of the chairs at the dining table. He pulled Danny down with him, making the boy sit on his knee. He placed both of his hands on Danny’s shoulders and began moving his fingers in circular motions again, massaging the sore muscles there. Danny was slowly becoming putty in his hands. “I have to ask you again. I need you to elaborate more on why you... why you seem so hesitant to let me touch you. I won't make you do anything, but... I need to know why. Eventually, we are going to have to work through this."

Danny’s mind was swimming as he listened to Vlad. The man was working wonders with his massage, and he had to hold back the sounds his body wanted to make in response. It felt so good, and it eased the heat of his core. He didn’t think he’d ever been massaged like this before, and he suddenly felt starved of touch. He was so used to harmful touches. So used to only the brief hugs and touches that he shared with his friends and family. So this was new, so new, and it felt so good.

His mind took a moment to catch up with what Vlad said, and he tensed. Vlad’s fingers continued to dig into his shoulders, kneeding the knots there, and he managed to relax just a little. “It's because... because I’ve never done anything with anyone. And you’re...” He closed his mouth, swallowing the excess saliva that had built up in his mouth.

“I’m what?” Vlad prompted, his voice oddly quiet and his breathing heavy. 

“I-I don’t know...” Danny said. “A man old enough to be my father? My arch-nemesis? My parents’ old college friend? The mayor? A billionaire?”

Vlad stopped for a moment, a surprised chuckle escaping past his lips. “Why the billionaire part?”

Danny shrugged. “I-I’m a middle-class citizen... our worlds are completely different.”

“I wasn’t always rich, you know,” Vlad said. “I used to be on the verge of homelessness when I was your age.”

“Well, right now you’re a rich politician and I’m a clueless high schooler.” Danny muttered. But then Vlad was pushing his thumbs into a particularly tense knot in the back of his neck, and his brain was going fuzzy again. “Vlad, god... that feels so good...”

Vlad leaned forward, his mouth close to Danny’s ear again. “Daniel, if the only reason you won’t let me touch you is because you’re not confident with our differing social status, then I must ask you to try to put it aside. You did say money isn’t something you want, so it’s irrelevant.”

“Irrelevant...” Danny said under his breath. Maybe it really didn’t matter. Maybe he could just enjoy himself. Wait, no. _No_. “Wait, Vlad, _s-stop._ Stop doing that. It’s distracting me.”

Vlad’s hands froze.

“M-money isn’t...” Danny groaned for a moment, already missing the sensation of Vlad’s fingers expertly relaxing his shoulders. “Okay, maybe the money thing doesn’t matter as much, but you’re still... still so much older... and you used to love my mom...”

“True,” Vlad said. “But... you have to remember. We’re... soulmates. Our cores were made for each other. Soulmates are soulmates for a reason. Cores don’t make mistakes when it comes to soulmates.”

“Soulmates...” Danny repeated, leaning back into Vlad’s chest. The man wrapped his arms around him, and it felt safe. “Nobody will understand... my friends _don’t_ understand...”

“You told your friends?” Vlad asked, sounding surprised. “I would’ve thought you’d hide this sort of thing. Not that I mind... I won’t force you to hide what’s happening... the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

“Sorry...” Danny said, regretfully. “They kind of dragged it out of me. I didn’t tell them the other stuff, though... just that, somehow, we’re soulmates...”

Their cores both suddenly flared, making them tense against each other. Their breathing both became labored, heat building between their legs. Danny felt Vlad harden underneath him, and he tried not to think about it. 

“Daniel...” Vlad said huskily. “Danny, please let me touch you... let me make you feel good. You’ve been so good for me, let me be good for you. I can’t stand seeing you like this. I can feel your core... I can feel how much you want it.”

Danny shuttered against Vlad. It would only get worse if he didn’t do this. But he was still terrified. “V-Vlad...” his voice broke.

Vlad trailed his hands down Danny’s chest, nearing his crotch. “I-I won’t do anything you don’t want, but _please,_ I really can’t stand this much longer... I want you, Danny. I want you to be putty in my hands. I want you to feel good... I want to be the one to make you feel good. But... but if you don’t want that, I can— I’ll just pleasure myself and once I’m finished, that’ll give us both enough satisfaction to separate for a while longer. It’s up to you.”

Danny squirmed in Vlad’s lap, unintentionally grinding his ass into the man’s stiffened member. The older half-ghost groaned, his hands grabbing Danny’s hips to still him. “S-s-sorry...” He stammered, embarrassed. 

Vlad breathed heavily for a moment before he managed to speak. “Once I start, if you’ll let me, the last thing you’ll want is for me to stop.” He said. “It’ll feel so good that—that the only thing you’ll want in that moment is me. Nothing will matter more. I know this because... because, when you pleasure me... the only thing I want is you. You, and only you, because you’re all that matters in that moment.”

Danny’s mind was brought back to the other times they’d done this. How he’d touched Vlad, how the man had writhed in his hands, how he had moaned and praised him. He wanted Vlad. He wanted Vlad so badly that it _hurt_. Danny lifted himself from the chair so he could turn around and face Vlad. He got back on the chair, straddling the man as he wrapped his arms around Vlad’s neck and buried his face in his shoulder. His breath was heavy against Vlad’s ear as the man pulled them flush together.

“Y-you won’t hurt me?” Danny asked uncertainly. “You’ll stop if I tell you to?”

Vlad stroked up and down Danny’s spine lightly with his fingers. “I won’t hurt you, and I’ll stop if it becomes too much for you at any point, no matter what. I promise.” He assured him, nuzzling his cheek into Danny’s. His beard was rough and scratchy, but the sensation still sent tingles throughout Danny’s body.

Danny hesitated for a long moment, battling with himself. He was so terrified. The other times he’d done this with Vlad, he hadn’t gotten off. He hadn’t given himself over to the pleasure completely. But if he let Vlad have his way with him this time, it would really be real. There would be no turning back. There already was no turning back— their cores were irreversibly tied together. But once he gave himself over, it would actually _feel_ real. He wouldn’t be able to deny it.

But the longer he resisted, the more it would hurt both of them. Their cores ached together because he kept avoiding this. He was dragging Vlad down with him, and he couldn’t continue to do that. They both wanted to get on with their lives, but they couldn’t without doing this. Even if Vlad said he was fine with feeling the pain for a while longer if he wasn’t ready for this, Danny wasn’t fine with it. So ever so slowly, Danny nodded, his eyes closed tightly.

The second permission was given, pink smoke quickly enveloped them. Danny clung to Vlad as, for a brief moment, they were falling. And then a bed appeared underneath them, and they landed, with Danny still straddling him. 

“V-Vlad!” Danny stammered in alarm. But Vlad’s hands were already exploring his body with excitement. His shirt was quickly phased off, and Danny gasped at the skin-on-skin contact. It was too fast. _Too fast._ But he managed to endure it.

Vlad flipped them around and crawled over Danny, feeling every inch of the boy that he could reach with his hands. “You’re beautiful, Daniel.”

Danny was panting, watching Vlad with lidded, but surprised eyes. Vlad’s hands were so warm he felt like he was burning, but it was so good. Better than anything he’d ever felt in this context. He blushed heavily at Vlad’s words and turned his head to the side, trying to hide it in the pillow. It was still weird, hearing Vlad say these things to him. It wasn’t what he was used to, not from anyone. 

Sure, his mom (and Sam, just once) called him handsome from time to time, but this was different. Vlad was calling him _beautiful_. It was an adjective that he was certain nobody had ever used for him. And the man had called him similar things as well, like ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous.’ 

Usually, stuff like that was reserved for his ghost side. His snow-colored hair had been called pretty by a fan once, and he’d heard Paulina call Phantom stunning and handsome more than a few times. But Vlad was using these words for both of his forms. 

Did he really mean it, or was it just pillow talk? 

Vlad nuzzled his face into the crook of Danny’s neck and began a slow trail of kisses, giving every inch of skin that his lips touched the equal amount of meticulous treatment. Danny’s face was beet red by this point as he painted into the pillow, hardly able to comprehend that something could feel this good. He didn’t know if he’d be able to handle anything further. But the assurance that Vlad would stop if he asked was enough to make him feel a little braver. 

Vlad’s mouth suddenly latched on to Danny’s nipple, and the teen let out a strangled cry that was a mix between pleasure and embarrassment. He could feel the man grinning around that part of him as he rolled the peaked nub between his teeth. Danny grabbed Vlad’s shoulders, both trying to push him away and pull him closer at the same time. He’d never even known that part of himself was so _sensitive_.

His mind was starting to become even more cloudy than before, his fears and anxieties fading into the background of his mind as Vlad continued his way downward, kissing and grazing his teeth along every available surface. Who knew Vlad would be so freaking good at this kind of thing? Danny would’ve thought that with the man obsessing over his mother all these years, he wouldn’t get around much. 

Apparently, he was wrong. Extremely. Because Vlad knew _exactly_ how to make him feel good, and he had this air of experience and knowledge around him that Danny lacked. Which was expected, because the most Danny had ever done (outside of what he’d done with Vlad) was make out and grope through clothing. Usually not in particularly inappropriate places, either. 

Vlad was the person he’d gone the furthest with. He never imagined that he’d ever do something like this with the man. It had never even crossed his mind, and yet... here they were. With Vlad kissing a trail down to his groin, pleasuring him, praising him.

The older half-ghost stopped his trail of kisses at the hem of Danny’s jeans. He looked up, his eyes hazy with lust and want. He looked like he was barely controlling himself. Danny held his gaze intently, trying to figure out what he was doing now. His dick was aching in his jeans, making them feel far too tight. He was barely able to hold himself back from bucking his hips up into any part of Vlad he could. 

“Daniel, I’m going to take your pants off now,” Vlad told him in a deep tone, grabbing the zipper. “So don’t panic, alright? You’ve been doing so good, my Little Badger. I want to make this good for you, since I know that this isn’t exactly ideal for you. If you feel too uncomfortable at any point, let me know and I’ll stop. I can deal with core pains for a while longer for your sake.”

Danny grabbed Vlad’s shoulders again, his pulse quickening with anxiety. He hadn’t been exposed to Vlad like that yet. He was glad that Vlad was giving him an out if he felt like he needed it, but he didn’t believe he’d take it at this point. He didn’t want them to be in pain anymore. And part of him, now that he was in this situation and couldn’t deny it anymore, really... _really_ wanted it. But was he really ready to be that vulnerable in front of the man? He didn’t think his core would allow him not to be. So he just nodded, even as his fingers started to tremble slightly against Vlad.

“I’ll make you feel so good,” Vlad promised as he slowly dragged his zipper down. Danny appreciated that Vlad was taking this part slow, instead of just phasing his pants and underwear off without warning. “You’ll _beg_ to finish before I’m done with you.”

“Ever the villain, huh Vlad?” Danny snarked, smirking up at him. It was easy to say, and it felt familiar on his tongue. It made him feel better, for a brief moment.

“Nothing but the best for my Little Badger.” Vlad grinned down at him in response. Danny couldn’t help the small laugh it erupted from him at the familiar banter. 

Vlad pulled his pants down, and Danny shifted to help. When they got down to his knees and got slightly tangled, Vlad’s patience grew thin (which was understandable, considering how much their cores _ached_ for more, and faster) and he phased the clothing off. Danny’s breath quickened at the sight of the bulge in his underwear, which was incredibly noticeable. There was even a wet spot forming, showing just how desperate his body was.

Vlad pressed his hands into the bulge, and it felt like an electric shock had shot through Danny’s entire body. Relief flooded his system and his core pulsed with a sudden thankfulness and satisfaction. A feeling achieved by finally obtaining something it had been desperate for— something that _Danny_ — had been starved of. 

“Oh my god,” Danny groaned, his eyes glazing over from the pleasure just that single touch had brought him. “Vlad, please, _please_ —"

“We’ve only just gotten started, Daniel.” Vlad grinned down at him teasingly. But based on the shakiness of his expression, it was clear that he was still holding back, being careful not to scare Danny away. But after feeling _that,_ Danny was certain that he was staying right here. _Nothing_ could convince him to stop now. 

“Vlad,” Danny said, bucking his hips up into the hand that was still pressed into him. “Vlad, please—"

“Please what, Daniel?” Vlad asked, feigning innocence. “You have to tell me what you want.”

_“Please,”_ Danny choked out. He was struggling to form the words “Please, Vlad.” 

“You’ll have to be more specific on your desires, Daniel,” Vlad said, rubbing Danny through his underwear as a way of encouragement. “Be a good boy for me and tell me what you want.”

“I-I want...” Danny panted for a moment, sitting on the precipice between what was then and what will be. His mind raced, because, after this, there was no going back. There really would be no other way for him to deny it. 

Another ache of arousal pulsed from both of their cores and Danny gladly dove off of that cliff to chase the change between them. 

“I w-want you to touch me,” Danny said, grabbing Vlad’s hand in his own as he held the man’s gaze desperately. “I want you to make me feel good, I-I-I want that reward, I want you to tell me how good I am—"

“You’re amazing, Daniel. Such a good boy for me.” Vlad said, suddenly diving forward to capture Danny’s mouth in a bruising kiss. The gasp that escaped Danny’s mouth allowed Vlad’s tongue to enter, and the man coaxed him into a battle that felt almost familiar. 

Danny pulled Vlad as close as physically possible, his hands digging into Vlad’s hair, pulling and feeling until he somehow managed to undo the hair tie and silver locks were suddenly brushing against the sides of his face. They both briefly pulled back to breathe, and Danny realized that, sometime during the exchange, Vlad had phased his underwear off, and his erection now stood proudly between them. 

Vlad grabbed it, and Danny let out a sharp gasp. The man did a few experimental pulls, his thumb stopping to twist around the tip each time it reached it. Each movement made Danny feel more and more lost to the pleasure— more and more lost in Vlad. It was just like the man said— there was nothing that mattered more than Vlad at this moment. His core hummed in agreement at that thought. 

He looked up at Vlad’s face and he watched as the man’s eyes flickered for a moment before glowing red. He could see green reflecting off of the man’s face, and he knew that his own eyes were glowing, too. 

As Vlad’s hand continued to move, Danny felt the pressure build. He was close, and so fast, too. 

“Let me—let me touch you, too.” Danny said, his hands trailing over Vlad’s chest, going lower. 

Vlad grabbed one of his hands and guided it to his cock. He didn’t know when the man’s clothes had been phased off, but he didn’t care about that right now as long as he had ample access to the man’s body. Danny didn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers around his dick and stroke it in time with Vlad. The man groaned over him, pressing their bodies closer together. “Oh, Daniel, you’re so good. You’re so beautiful like this.”

“V-Vlad...” Danny moaned, running his free hand through Vlad’s silver locks. He’d always liked Vlad’s hair, even if he hadn’t let himself admit it until now. The pleasure was building low in his belly, climbing higher and higher with each stroke. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer like this. “I-I’m close, I’m so close!”

Vlad’s grip tightened and he started going faster, and Danny groaned as he followed the man’s lead. Nothing had ever felt this good before. His entire body felt like an exposed wire, sparking and burning and so, _so_ sensitive. He was certain he was going to combust at any second. 

“V-Vlad, I’m— _VLAD!”_ Danny came with a cry, his vision whiting out for a moment as pleasure consumed every inch of his body and every corner of his mind. He’d never come so hard in his entire life, and it was almost too much for him to handle. Vlad groaned above him, reaching his own completion at the sight, and Danny _felt_ Vlad’s pleasure through their connection. He felt the remanence of the man’s pleasure, the sheer relief and satisfaction rolling off of him in waves. The older half-ghost slumped on top of him, his face buried in the crook of Danny’s neck. 

They both slowly came down from the high, panting together as they tried to catch their breath. Danny’s head was spinning as slowly tried to come back to reality. He hadn’t felt this clear in _days_. Even apart from Vlad, his core had been a constant, nagging distraction. But now it was calm and silent. And the afterglow was slowly, but surely fading. 

Danny’s face flushed red. Vlad was still on top of him. 

“Um...” The teen murmured awkwardly, not sure what to do now. “I-I... I have... class? To get to?”

Vlad groaned as he sat up. Their chests were caked with their drying come, and Danny’s brows briefly scrunched together at the sight of it. The older half-ghost rolled off of him and laid down beside him, still breathing heavily as they stared up at the ceiling. The realization of what they’d just done hung heavily in the air between them. 

They weren’t touching, and they didn’t feel an ounce of pain. The realization would’ve made Danny giddy with relief if not for the fact that he and Vlad had only accomplished that by coming in each other’s hands. 

“You should... you should at least shower before you head back.” Vlad said awkwardly. “There’s a bathroom through that door.” He gestured vaguely across the room. 

Danny sat up, avoiding Vlad’s gaze as he scratched at the back of his neck. “Y-yeah... thanks.” He slid out of the bed and gathered his discarded clothes before heading into the bathroom to shower. This was the first time Danny hadn’t fled right after everything, and it was literally one of the most awkward encounters he’d ever experienced. His face was burning the whole way to the bathroom. 

He washed himself off as quickly and efficiently as he could, using the fancy soaps that were already set up in there. When he was done drying off and getting dressed, he headed back out into the bedroom. But Vlad wasn’t there anymore. Danny frowned, but he didn’t have time to investigate. He had school to get back to. And maybe it was even good that Vlad wasn’t there. He probably wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye anyway. 

So with a shrug, he transformed and made his way back to school. He was only three minutes late to class and Mr. Lancer didn’t even give him detention for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make Vlad have more control over himself so hopefully that was conveyed well in this chapter. Before, he was so overwhelmed with all these new urges and feelings that he couldn't hold himself back completely (Danny too, the first time). But now he's really, really trying. I feel very strongly about consent, and I want to emphasize the topic in this story a little bit, especially since there's a weird biological thing that makes them have to do that kind of stuff together. 
> 
> I know Danny's a switch, but like... he's kind of freakin' out still and it's easier to let Vlad take the lead for now. He will become more switch-y as the story goes on. I kind of suck at writing smut (like I'm actually surprised I was even able to write this), so you'll have to bear with me guys. :/
> 
> ALSO, IS ANYONE ELSE OUTRAGED OVER THE FACT THAT TACO BELL GOT RID OF THEIR 7-LAYER BURRITOS???? This is completely off topic but I can't remember a single time in my life that I went to Taco Bell and didn't order a 7-Layer Burrito. And now it's gone forever. ;(


	4. Here For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Danny fight and Vlad comforts Danny, I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate online school. It sucks. But at least I've got more time to write and post chapters. It's like one of the only good things about being stuck at home. I hope this dang virus thing gets resolved soon, I haven't left my house in such a long time. :(

Danny hadn’t spoken to Vlad in a little over a week. Even despite this, the link between their cores sometimes broadcasts their emotions to each other randomly. Sometimes Danny would feel a weird presence inside his head, like Vlad’s mind was brushing against his own.

It was barely ever intentional, and it never revealed any actual thoughts, just emotions. And it was always somehow so easy to differentiate his own emotions from Vlad’s. They just felt _different,_ somehow. Unfamiliar in his own head, but still familiar enough for him to know it was Vlad that he could feel. They used to only be able to feel each other like this when they were close, but obviously the connection had become far greater since their last encounter. 

It was kind of like his ghost sense, almost. Even when he couldn’t see his ghost sense go off, he could _feel_ it. And he knew a ghost was near, even when he didn’t know _how_ he knew. Feeling Vlad’s emotions was similar to that. He just _knew,_ somehow, without even thinking about it. 

And sometimes Danny knew when his own emotions reached out to Vlad. It happened a lot when he was angry, and he’d suddenly feel a calming presence in his head like Vlad was trying to calm him own. Or when he was sad, and Vlad would send him positivity and comfort. Like he was trying to tell him to cheer up. 

He tried to do the same for Vlad whenever the man’s feelings brushed against his mind. When Vlad was frustrated, he’d try to send him waves of calm. When he was bored, he’d try to send him excitement or inspiration. And sometimes when he felt Vlad in his head and he tried to respond, Vlad would respond back with a feeling akin to apologetic or guilty. It was like he felt bad for showing up in his head unannounced, even though Danny did it on accident all the time as well. 

Danny tried to convey his forgiveness. They couldn’t control this, after all. But Vlad would still feel guilty. Danny could sort of understand why. They hadn’t talked since... well, since the day Danny told him they were soulmates and they... they jerked each other off in Vlad’s bed. 

He did not want to think about that anymore. 

“Danny!” 

Danny was suddenly startled from his thoughts, and he almost flickered invisible in defense to whatever attack was coming at him. His shoulder’s hunched as he turned his gaze to his friends. They were at the bowling alley, and he’d completely zoned out for a while.

“It’s your turn, dude.” Tucker said, gesturing up at the screen where his name was highlighted. So far, Sam was in the lead, and Danny was in second place, but Tucker was only two points behind him and gaining on him fast. If he wasn’t careful, Tucker would overtake him. 

“O-oh, sorry, I kind of spaced.” Danny said sheepishly as he stood and grabbed his blue bowling ball from the rack. 

“You’ve been doing that a lot recently,” Sam commented suspiciously, crossing her arms. “Ever since you and Vlad became all _buddy-buddy_ with each other, you’ve been especially spacey.”

Danny groaned and rolled his eyes. Did they have to talk about this now? They were supposed to be out having fun! Ever since Danny told them about the whole soulmate situation, they had been onto him non-stop about it. They were _relentless_. Sam still thought it was some kind of trick, and Tucker was curious about what it even _meant_ for him and Vlad to be soulmates. Like he _needed_ to contemplate the meaning and existence of _soulmates_ right now. 

“I’m not all _buddy-buddy_ with Vlad,” Danny grumbled back at them. “I haven’t even seen him in a week.”

“Yeah, but can’t you feel him in your head or something?” Tucker asked, but he seemed like he was only half paying attention to the conversation. He’d brought out his PDA and was smashing the buttons with his thumbs, deeply concentrated on whatever game he was playing. He’d mastered multi-tasking like this years ago. “You know, that weird mental link thing you described.”

Danny blushed and looked away from his friends so they wouldn’t see it. “Y-yes, but that’s beside the point. We don’t have a _choice_ about the fact that we’re connected like that. And it’s not like we’re _talking_ to each other. I just... _briefly_ feel him getting pissed at other rich businessmen from time to time.”

He tried not to think about how that made it sound like he actually was all buddy-buddy with Vlad. The fact that he could _feel_ Vlad’s emotions made them seem _attached_ to each other in not just a physical way. And he supposed that it was technically true, but it wasn’t like he was suddenly swooning over Vlad and talking about him constantly like an obsessive fanboy. 

“But still, Danny, you’re feeling his _emotions,_ and he can feel yours.” 

Sam said, a speculative glint in her eyes. “I seriously have to wonder what he did to tie you guys together. Maybe it was some sort of ghostly artifact he found in the GZ.”

Danny barely held himself back from facepalming. “I already told you, Clockwork confirmed that this isn’t Vlad’s fault. It’s _literally_ the biology of our cores that’s causing this. Every ghost has a soulmate, and Vlad just happened to be mine.”

“But what if he, like... _tampered_ with your cores to do this?” Tucker asked, his eyes wide as the theory entered his mind. He shut down his PDA and leaned back in his seat. “He literally _cloned_ you. He’s probably smart enough to fuck with your core without you even knowing, right?”

“Ugghh,” Danny didn’t even bother to aim as he rolled his bowling ball down the lane. It only knocked down half the pins, which made him frown. Tucker was totally going to overtake him on his next turn. “Clockwork would’ve _told_ me if Vlad did that.”

“But how do you know you can trust Clockwork for sure?” Tucker waggled his eyebrows at him. “He _is_ a neutral ghost. He’s on the side of _Time,_ my brotha. Not the good side.”

Danny retrieved his returned bowling ball from the rack and rolled it down the alley again. He sighed when only one pin remained. He’d been so close. He turned back to Tucker with a frown. “That’s exactly _why_ I can trust him. Clockwork is honest _because_ he’s neutral. He has no good or bad intentions, he’s just real. And besides... Clockwork is like... a mentor, of sorts. He wouldn’t hurt me like that. Besides Frostbite, Clockwork is one of my closest ghost friends.”

It really, really felt like his friends were trying to make everyone else in his life seem untrustworthy. And he was getting frustrated. In response to his frustration, he felt waves of calm and understanding wash over his mind. He’d broadcasted his emotions to Vlad accidentally again. He closed his eyes and tried to send back an apologetic feeling for probably interrupting the man’s day with his stupid teenager feelings. 

He felt bad that he was sending all his mood swings Vlad’s way. One moment, he’d feel like he was on top of the world, and the next, he’d feel like he had been rooting around in a sewer for hours (which had actually happened earlier today when a ghost that looked like an alligator started messing with the water supply in Amity Park). And Vlad had to deal with all his emotional outbursts now, too. What sucked, even more, was the fact that Danny tended to send his emotions on accident far more often than Vlad did. It was actually kind of embarrassing. 

He supposed that was probably because Vlad was older and more level-headed, while Danny was a hormonal teenager that got into ghost fights all the time and was easy to anger. But then again... Vlad was pretty easy to anger as well, so at least they had that in common. 

“You can’t actually be sure he’s on your side, though,” Sam said as she got up for her turn. “I mean, _seriously_. Vlad Plasmius? Your _soulmate?_ He’s like a century older than you! And you _hate_ each other!” She rolled the bowling ball down the alley hard and fast, her frustration clear with every movement. Every pin was knocked down, just like most of her previous turns. Having her own bowling alley at home must have given her a lot of practice. 

“Damn! Good throw, Sam!” Tucker cheered. But it went unnoticed by the other two teens. 

Danny clenched his fists in anger. “What the hell is your problem, Sam?”

Sam turned to look at him, a confused expression on her face. “What are you talking about?”

“You keep doing this!” Danny rose his voice slightly. They were lucky Sam had decided to pay for a private room, or else everyone would be bearing witness to his current mental breakdown. “Vlad is my _soulmate!_ Maybe I don’t know what that means just yet, but that’s just how it is! It’s not some trick, it’s not some devious plot, it’s just what the universe fucking decided for us, and there’s _nothing_ anyone can do about it! So stop _fucking_ trying to create all these stupid theories and make me hate him!”

Danny knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he was overreacting. But this had been building up for a while now. 

“Well, I’m _sorry_ if I’m a little suspicious about the fact that your _forty-year-old arch-nemesis_ is suddenly your _soulmate!”_ Sam placed one hand on her hip and gestured at Danny widely. “It’s not right, Danny! He’s too old for you!”

“Do you think I don’t know this?!” Danny yelled, taking a step towards her and gesturing wildly with his hands. “I’ve been _upset_ over this since it started, okay?! I _know_ how messed up it is!”

“Then why aren’t you trying to fix it?!” Sam yelled back at him.

“Because I _can’t!”_ Danny yelled at her, his eyes blazing with acidic green. “I can’t! I _can’t,_ alright?! If we try to separate, it’ll fucking _kill_ us! It-it’ll _unravel_ our cores and we’ll cease to exist! And if we spend too long apart, it causes physical and emotional pain! Vlad is _just_ as inconvenienced as I am! Do you think he _wanted_ to be tied down to a fucking seventeen-year-old _loser?!”_

He was breathing heavily by the end of the rant, and after a moment the green glow in his eyes faded back into its normal blue. Tucker and Sam just stared at him with wide eyes, so Danny turned away. He hated it when they looked at him like that. Like he was someone they had to pity. 

Sam frowned, reaching out to her friend. _“Danny—"_

“No,” Danny cut her off, taking a step back so he was out of reach. “Just stop, Sam.”

“Guys,” Tucker spoke up awkwardly. He wasn’t used to being the mediator. Usually, that was Danny’s job, and Tucker and Sam were usually the ones who argued. “Can’t we all just calm down? We don’t need to talk about Vlad. It’s all we’ve been talking about, and obviously Danny’s a little sensitive about it—"

“I’m not _sensitive!”_ Danny growled at them, tensing up. And for the most part, it was true. He was willing to discuss it, he was willing to figure it out. But the way _they_ wanted to talk about it— like it was some kind of problem they had to solve, where Danny was too incompetent to do himself-- it pissed him off. “You guys just _won’t_ shut up about it!”

“Because we’re trying to figure out what to do.” Sam said with an eye roll.

“This isn’t a _we_ thing,” Danny said, glaring as he gestured between them. “This is a _me_ and _Vlad_ thing.”

“Ugh, you sound like you’re in love with him or something.” Sam scoffed, dragging a hand down her face in frustration. “You don’t have to pretend you actually like him, you know.”

Danny’s face heated with embarrassment. Why did she have to say that? The fact that he was probably _supposed_ to be in love with Vlad was bad enough. And he _wasn’t_ acting like he liked Vlad. He didn’t even know _how_ he felt about Vlad. “I’m not in love with him! Our situation just has _nothing_ to do with you guys, Sam.”

“Well, I’m worried about you!” Sam argued with him. “It’s our job as your best friends to worry about you!”

“Well, you’re not _acting_ like my best friend!” Danny yelled at her, tears welling in his eyes. It was said without thought, but the emotions behind the words were present. Everything they said about the situation stressed him out. He couldn’t just deal with it anymore. “Neither of you are!”

Sam’s expression dropped into hurt before it hardened again, and she glared. “Fine! Let Vlad hurt you, and see if I care! Since I’m apparently not good enough for you, maybe we shouldn’t even be friends!”

“Fine!” Danny yelled as his transformation into Phantom washed over him. He hadn’t even realized he was going to transform until it was already done. 

“Fine!” Sam yelled back in agreement.

Danny flew up and phased through the ceiling as fast as he could, tears flowing down his face as he shot off in some random direction. He just wanted to get as far away from there as he could. His vision blurred slightly as he flew, wind whooshing past him. 

He was tired of being attacked. He was tired of nobody being on his side. The ghosts were against him, his parents were against him when he was Phantom, his classmates were against him, his teachers were against him, and now even his _friends_ were against him. He didn’t even know what to do at this point.

And it hurt. It hurt a lot. Especially what Sam had said. Did she really not want to be his friend anymore? Danny’s heart clenched painfully at the thought, and despair filled his mind. He felt so alone, and there was nobody he could even turn to. 

Suddenly, Danny felt worry fill his mind, and he stopped in the air. It took him a moment to realize that it was Vlad asking if he was alright. Danny tried to send reassurance that he was fine. _‘I’m fine, never been better.’_

But the doubt and the pain kept overpowering it, pushing away the reassuring thoughts with such a force that his core _ached_. He couldn’t even pretend to be okay, not with how his emotions were on full display to another person. When Vlad’s worry only increased, Danny pressed his palms into his eyes and forcefully blocked Vlad out. He didn’t need this right now. Even if it wasn’t Vlad’s fault, the man was still the root of all of his current problems. 

Danny let himself float down until his feet touched the top of a building. The tears were still streaming down his face, and no matter how much he wiped at them, new ones were quick to replace them. Sam just told him that they shouldn’t be friends anymore. He didn’t know how much she actually meant it, but it still hurt him deeply. 

The teen sat down on the edge of the roof, letting his feet dangle over the side as he watched the people down below walk around and do their business. He pulled his gloves off and set them aside so he could wipe at his eyes. Their rubbery texture hadn’t helped much when it came to wiping his tears away. Eventually, he managed to calm down enough to stop crying, and he just sat there, gazing down at all the people just doing their business in the city.

This was just a bad couple of weeks. That’s all it was. Maybe the whole soulmates thing was permanent, but everything else would get better. Hopefully. He didn’t really know. Right now, this was just... his life. It was different now, and it could never go back to how it was. Whether he wanted it or not, Vlad would be a solid figure in his life for now on. And his friends would probably never be okay with it.

If they even still _were_ his friends. 

Danny felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, and the sudden knowledge that Vlad was nearby became very clear. He stood from his spot on the roof as anxiety shot through him like a lightning bolt. Did he have to come to find him _now?_ Of all times? Why was he even here?!

His ghost sense went off as Vlad Plasmius appeared from across the roof, worry clearly etched onto his face as he spotted Danny. He slowly and carefully let his feet touch the ground before he started making his way over to Danny.

“Daniel, what’s the matter?” Vlad asked as he got close.

Danny took a step back, averting his eyes as he put up a mental wall between them so Vlad couldn’t get in his head. He felt Vlad’s mind try to prod at the wall like he was trying to figure out what was wrong without asking, but Danny wouldn’t let him through. 

“N-nothing, I’m fine.” Danny stammered. He hated how obvious the lie was. His eyes were probably still puffy from crying with tear tracks running down his pale cheeks. 

Vlad frowned at him, but he didn’t seem angry. Just worried and confused. “We both know that’s not true. I could feel you. You felt... very distressed. Please, talk to me, Daniel, all I want to do is help.”

“You can’t help me!” Danny snapped at him, his hands clenching at his sides in anger. He was tired of everyone trying to _help_ him, and the last thing he needed was for Vlad to do it as well. Usually, if he was this upset and Vlad found him, they’d fight viciously before separating, and Danny would only feel slightly better after getting his frustrating out. But now they couldn’t do that. Fighting wasn’t an option, so he didn’t know how he was supposed to act right now. He didn’t know how he was supposed to let Vlad comfort him. 

Vlad took a cautious step away from him, looking at Danny with calculating, worried eyes. He even looked a little hurt by the rejection. 

“Why are you even here?” Danny asked as his tears started to build in his eyes again. He really couldn’t hide how he felt right now, even with the mental wall between them. “What do you _want_ from me?!”

“I just...” Vlad’s eyes darted around slightly, like he was looking for some way to get out of this. And for some reason, that made Danny feel worse. “I wanted to see if... if you needed someone to talk to. You felt... lonely, Little Badger.”

Danny wiped at his face again, trying to reel his emotions back on track. He was being unfair to Vlad. He was just worried about him. And as weird as that thought was, he knew it was true because he could _feel_ it. He needed to apologize and get his shit together. He shouldn't take his frustrations out on the literal only person he could talk to about this specific problem without feeling like shit. “I-I’m sorry, Vlad. I didn’t mean...” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. You're only trying to... help."

Maybe he was sensitive, just like Tucker had claimed. Danny frowned at that thought. He was supposed to be strong. He was Danny Phantom, for crying out loud. He _had_ to be strong, no matter what. He was the shoulder everyone cried on, not the other way around. He was supposed to be the one that comforted everyone else, that kept everyone safe and happy. He didn’t have time to fall apart himself. 

“Why do you try so hard?” Vlad asked. Danny gave him a confused look, so Vlad went on to explain further. “You’re clearly in pain, but you’re trying to block it out. You know you’re allowed to be upset from time to time, yes?”

“God, get out of my head, Vlad.” Danny groaned. He hadn’t even realized he’d dropped the mental wall. Vlad was starting to become good a lowering his guard, and Danny knew he had to work on that. _“Please,_ just don’t do that right now.”

“Would you like me to leave?” Vlad asked reluctantly.

Danny turned to him with wide eyes. Did he? He asked himself. Did he want him to leave? 

“You don’t have to...” Danny said meekly, his shoulders rising uncomfortably as he absentmindedly fidgeted with his hands. “You came all this way, it would kind of suck if I told you to go away the second you got here.”

Vlad smiled a little. “Yes, it probably would.” He said. “Do you... want to talk about what’s gotten you so upset?”

“I don’t know...” Danny said, scratching at the back of his neck as he sat down over the side of the roof again. Vlad joined him, sitting a healthy distance away from him. “It was stupid... teenager stuff, you know? It just...” He trailed off. He didn’t know if Vlad would understand. Or if he even truly cared to know. He wouldn’t want to bore the man with his teenage bullshit.

Why was Vlad even here? Was it really all because he wanted to make sure Danny was okay? He was so used to Vlad always having an alterer motive. 

“Try me,” Vlad said with a shrug. “I was once your age. I might be able to offer some decent advice.”

“Okay,” Danny agreed hesitantly, still uncertain but willing to try. “But... you gotta be prepared. It’s... kind of about our situation.” He gestured between them. When Vlad nodded at him, Danny continued. “It’s about Sam and Tuck. They’ve been freaking out about the whole soulmates thing. It’s all they wanna talk about. Today, I got upset... and snapped at them. And then Sam got upset, too... and she basically told me she didn’t wanna be friends anymore... and I said ‘fine’ and left.”

Danny looked all the way down at the streets below them in order to avoid Vlad’s gaze. 

“Honestly, I’m not surprised.” Vlad said.

Danny shot him a glare, but before he could say anything, Vlad cut him off.

“Miss Manson is clearly over the moon for you,” Vlad told him. Danny gaped at him. “Before the whole _soulmates_ thing, I actually wondered if or when you two would finally get together.”

Danny’s mouth moved without words for a moment before he could get anything out. “Sam doesn’t feel that way about me! There’s no way!”

Vlad chuckled and shook his head. “I’m afraid she does, my boy.”

Danny didn’t believe it. Vlad was basically saying that Sam was acting this way because she was _jealous_. “There’s no way.”

Vlad laughed again. “Maybe it’s not so obvious to you, but as an outsider, it’s not hard to see. Why else do you think everyone just assumes you’re already together?”

“How do _you_ know everyone assumes that?” Danny narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Because your parents have conversed with me many times about their own speculations on the matter.” Vlad shrugged. “They believe you both are dating in secret.”

“Huh,” Danny said in amusement. “And here I thought _all_ the stuff you knew about me was through illegally spying on my family.”

Vlad chuckled nervously. “Speaking of, I’ve, uh... taken down and disabled all of the cameras within your household.”

Danny’s amusement faded and turned into surprise. “You... you did?”

Vlad sighed, leaning back on his hands. “I’ve been thinking this past week...” He said. “And if I ever want my soulmate to like me, I’ll have to make some changes. I doubt you’d want me outside of necessity if I still spied on you and your family. Among other things...” 

“Why do you want me to like you so much?” Danny felt a rising insecurity that he purposely blocked from Vlad’s mind. At least he could do that. At least he could cut his mind off intentionally whenever he thought about it. 

“Daniel,” Vlad said, reaching out to him. When Danny didn’t move away or flinch, he gently placed his gloved hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I know that we are still trying to navigate this strange predicament we’ve been placed in. But if it has to be this way— if you _have_ to be my soulmate— then I want to make the most of it. I want us to be _happy_ if we can be.”

“What if we weren’t soulmates?” Danny asked, surprising even himself with the question. The thought had been hanging out in the back of his mind, but he hadn't allowed himself to examine it until now. “Would you feel the same way?”

Vlad’s hold tightened slightly. “I’m not sure... all I know is that I wouldn’t have pursued you, an underaged boy, if we weren’t soulmates. But if you were an adult, maybe I would’ve. Us being two of a kind is enough to draw my interest.” 

“So you’re saying, from the _start,_ you might’ve actually pursued me romantically if I had been old enough.” Danny said slowly, trying to understand what Vlad meant. 

Vlad shrugged. “There definitely would’ve been a chance.”

“What about my mom?” Danny asked teasingly, nudging Vlad with his shoulder. “Would you have forgotten all about your _‘dear, precious Madeline’?”_

Vlad’s face fell at that and he looked off to the side. “I really don’t know, Daniel. Maybe I would’ve forgotten about her. Maybe the reason I even still pursued her after the reunion was because I wanted you in any way I could get you.”

Danny couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He clutched at his stomach as he bent over, unable to stop himself. It was just so hilarious to him. He was still giggling a little as he looked up at Vlad to speak. “So if you couldn’t _fuck_ me, the next best option was to be my father? Oh my god, Vlad! That’s kind of messed up!”

Color spread across Vlad’s face and he sputtered for a moment. “It’s not like I actually thought that when I met you! I just felt a _connection,_ and I wanted you to be mine. The first thing that came to mind was for you to be my son. I had no such thoughts until... until more recently.” Vlad got quieter at the end of his rant. 

Danny giggled a little more. “You’re so awkward, Vlad. It’s kind of... _weird.”_

Vlad smiled at him vaguely. “Well, I can’t be charming _all_ the time.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Who _ever_ said you were charming?”

“Oh, I have some very good evidence that you think I’m charming from time to time, Little Badger.” Vlad smirked.

“You sure about that, Fruit Loop?” Danny teased. “You’re not as _charming_ in bed as you think.”

Vlad barked out a laugh. “Says the one that _begged_ for more.”

Danny blushed in embarrassment at the thought, but he wasn’t out of playfulness just yet. “And yet, you’ve come more times than I have. You didn’t _woo_ me as quick as I _wooed_ you.”

“You were just playing hard to get, Daniel.” Vlad lowered his voice. “But really, you wanted it just as bad.”

The two of them had unconsciously moved closer during the conversation, their faces only inches apart. They both seemed to realize it, but they didn’t move away. They’d already come in each other’s hands, it couldn’t get more awkward than that. 

“Vlad?” Danny said shakily.

“Yes, Daniel?” Vlad’s voice was cautious like he was afraid if he spoke too loud or used the wrong tone, he’d scare Danny away. But Danny could still feel the man’s breath dust over his face.

“What’s going to happen between us?” Danny asked, just as cautiously. Just as quietly. “What does it _mean_ to be soulmates?”

Vlad pulled back slightly, and it made Danny feel a little disappointed. He tried not to think about it. “From my research, I’ve learned that soulmates are lovers. They’re destined for each other— _made_ for each other. Every ghost has a soulmate. Some even have multiple soulmates and are polygamous.”

Danny didn’t want to ask Vlad if they were in a relationship. It felt weird to even think about something like that, even after what they’d done together already. “Do all soulmates really love each other?”

“Yes...” Vlad sighed. “They’re supposed to fall in love the moment they meet each other. Obviously, the situation is different for us since we’re not currently swooning over each other. Though, in a way, I suppose I do...” the man turned to look at him, and Danny could feel the anxiety and hope through the connection. “I do _love_ you, in a way.”

Danny stopped breathing for a second, his eyes wide. His heart began beating a mile a minute as his cheeks flushed with a deep green. He didn’t know what to do. _What was he_ _supposed to do?_ He didn’t even know if he loved Vlad back! It was hard to think about. It was confusing and painful and _weird_.

Vlad rose his hand in a dismissive wave like he was trying to quell Danny’s panic. “You don’t have to say it back. I don’t expect anything from you. You don’t even have to think about it if you don’t want to.”

“That’s a lot to just drop on a teenager, Vlad.” Danny whispered as he continued to stare at the man in shock. He knew it wasn’t a full love confession. Vlad just said that they weren’t swooning over each other, which meant that Vlad wasn’t ‘in love’ with him. He just... loved him, in some way. Maybe like how Danny loved his own friends, but still, it was kind of shocking that Vlad loved him at all. 

“Why are you whispering?” Vlad asked in amusement. 

“Because I don’t trust my voice not to crack right now.” Danny whispered in reply. He felt like if he actually used his voice, he’d squeak like a mouse or something. 

Vlad chuckled at him before leaning in close once again. He lowered his voice into a whisper as well, and the teen could feel the man’s breath dust over his face. “You don’t have to say you love me, but... can I kiss you, Daniel? I haven’t been able to do that during a time where my head was clear...”

All of the times that they’d done _‘stuff,’_ they’d been desperate. Their cores had been controlling their better judgment. It had made them desperate for each other, and impulsive. But now they had a choice. They could kiss right now, or they could not. And it would be their choice. 

Danny looked down at Vlad’s lips for a moment before he met his eyes again. “Only a kiss?”

“Only a kiss.” Vlad assured him.

Danny closed his eyes, shocked how much he actually wanted to say yes. But it’s not like they hadn’t kissed before, so he might as well just go for it. “Okay.”

Vlad placed his hands on the sides of Danny’s face and he felt warm lips press against his. He nearly gasped at the sensation. It was so much different, now that his head wasn’t clouded by arousal and desperation. He hadn’t realized just how warm Vlad was. He felt like if he was any hotter, he’d burn him. 

Vlad moved his lips against Danny’s, slowly coaxing his mouth to open before he slipped his tongue inside. He tasted like vanilla coffee again. How much of that stuff did Vlad drink? It was nice, how sweetly Vlad was kissing him, how it wasn’t desperate and fast and aggressive like it was before. Danny’s tongue brushed over the tip of one of Vlad’s fangs, and he nearly jerked back in surprise, but he managed not to. Vlad’s tongue swiped over the roof of Danny’s mouth, and the teen’s shoulders went lax, and he barely held back a moan. It was so good. Better than he’d thought it would be. 

They didn’t pull apart until they were out of breath, and they just held each other for a moment. Danny hadn’t even realized he’d grabbed Vlad’s shoulders to pull him closer until that moment. 

“T-that was...” Vlad said, panting for breath. 

“It was nice,” Danny mumbled, slightly embarrassed. “I-I liked it...”

Vlad smiled. “Good.”

Danny pulled back, looking back down that the ground. He was far too flustered now. “What now?”

“Unfortunately, I have a meeting to get to,” Vlad said, ruffling Danny’s hair affectionately. Danny leaned into the touch, almost against his will. “But... I’d like to see you again before our next... _cycle_ comes about. I feel it would make things more bearable if we acquainted ourselves with each other more before then.”

“What do you mean by _cycle?”_ Danny asked with furrowed brows.

Vlad sighed, looking a little guilty all of a sudden. “I went to speak with Jasper.”

Danny blinked in surprise. “You-you _did?_ When? And how did you find him?”

“Well, I tried to go find... Clockwork... so that he could tell me. I figured if you could befriend him, I could, as your soulmate, befriend him as well. But Jasper was already there just as I’d entered my Ghost Portal. He said that Clockwork said I’d be needing him soon.” Vlad explained to him carefully.

Danny smiled. “Yeah, Clockwork’s like that sometimes. What all did you and Jasper talk about?”

“He explained to me that every once a month, Soulmates need to be near each other for a few days or else their cores will be in pain. For us, that will mean... _other_ things.” Vlad said, clearly hoping that Danny would understand without him needing to say it.

Danny blushed again. “Y-you mean we’re gonna...”

Vlad nodded.

Danny buried his face in his hands and groaned. “I thought that part was over.”

“It’ll happen once a month unless one or both of our mental or physical health is compromised.” Vlad sighed as he stood. He brushed the grime off of the back of his legs and his cape fluttered in the wind. “So what do you say about coming over tomorrow for dinner and a movie?”

Danny ducked his head slightly, a little shocked by Vlad’s invitation. “Are you asking me out on a _date?”_

Vlad froze briefly, the tension in his shoulders very obvious. “Only if you want it to be a date.”

“I dunno, Vlad, people usually don’t just invite people to dinner and a movie as _just friends,_ especially if they were just flirting." Danny shrugged. “It’s pretty clearly a date.”

“Fine,” Vlad said as he looked straight at Danny, his red eyes glowing a little brighter. “Daniel, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?”

Danny opened his mouth to respond but then hesitated. He slowly stood up, facing Vlad eye to eye. “S-sure, it sounds... interesting.”

“Great,” Vlad smiled happily, seeming satisfied with Danny’s answer. He looked relieved, too, like he hadn’t been certain Danny would accept. “I’ll expect you at my place at six. Does that work for you?”

“Y-yeah.” Danny stammered. “See you at six.”

Danny floated up into the air and was about to fly off in embarrassment when Vlad called for him. “Oh, and... Daniel?” Danny turned to look at him. “Regarding your situation with Miss Manson. I suggest you give her time to think. If she truly values your friendship, she will realize the error of her ways and apologize before you know it. Things will be just fine.”

Before Danny could even think of what to say in response, Vlad vanished in a puff of pink smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! I'm sorry it was kind of short.


	5. Pineapple Pizza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has a bad day and the date does not start off as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's violence in this chapter. It's not like super bad or anything but Danny gets tossed around quite a bit. And he has to get stitches. Just a warning in case anyone is sensitive to that sort of thing.

Danny didn’t know if he should be more worried about the fact that he hadn’t talked to Sam since their fight or the fact that he was actually going on a date with Vlad “Plasmius” Masters tonight. Last night had been a mixture of a _lot_ of emotions. Anger, despair, hurt, confusion, _fear_. Definitely fear, because _what the fuck,_ he might’ve just lost one of his best friends and, _what the fuck,_ he’s going on a date with his arch-nemesis.

The raven-haired teen had to steel himself before he walked through the front door of the school along with a crowd of other students around him. On the outside, he looked cool and collected. But on the inside, there was a raging storm of panic. He didn’t know what to expect. He felt so out of control, and it wasn’t a feeling that he enjoyed.

Maybe he was in control of whether or not he actually went on a date with Vlad, but even with that option, he didn’t really have _full_ control. What was he going to do? _Not_ go on a date with the only person he’s ever gotten intimate with? Even if that person was _Vlad Masters,_ his arch-nemesis, it would be kind of fucked up for him to stand him up. 

And then there was the matter with Sam. He was entirely out of control in that situation. She was mad at him, and maybe not even his friend anymore, but Danny promised himself this morning that he wouldn’t apologize for anything regarding Vlad. The fact that their _literal souls_ were connected was something that he could not control. It wasn’t his fault, and he shouldn’t have to apologize for it. 

If he did apologize— and maybe this was a little childish— Sam would have to apologize first. She’d have to make the first move, because Danny really, really didn’t want to. And he shouldn’t _have_ to. Sam was the one who started the argument, Sam was the one who hurt him first. She wouldn’t let the soulmate thing go, even when Danny asked her to. 

He felt guilty for making a mental effort to convince himself that apologizing wasn’t something he should have to do, but when he thought about it logically—and he’d thought about it _a lot_ — there wasn’t any major reason for him to apologize. He was sorry that he couldn’t control the situation, but not sorry to Sam. He was sorry to Vlad. He was sorry to himself. But he had to reason to be sorry to her. 

He’d have to apologize for calling her a bad friend, but in order for him to get to that point, Sam would have to apologize for being mad at him for something he couldn’t control. And he’d have to apologize to Tucker as well for the same thing. But he had to hold out until Sam apologized for making him feel that way in the first place. 

Danny sighed when he made it to his locker and phased his hand through it, pulling out the books he’d need when nobody was watching him. His friends weren’t waiting for him here, which meant that Sam was definitely still mad at him. Danny was mad, too, but he was disappointed that they weren’t there to at least greet him. 

He wondered what Tucker was up to. He hated that he might currently be stuck in the middle of their fight, and it really sucked that he hadn’t shown up either, but he would never make the other teen choose between them. Hopefully, his and Sam’s fight wasn’t stressing him out too much. 

When Danny made it to first period, Sam and Tucker were already in class. They were sitting in their usual seats, but instead of watching the door for Danny to enter, they were facing each other and looked like they were in the middle of a heated argument. Danny hesitated before stepping further into the classroom. When he did, Tucker saw him first and he immediately screwed his mouth shut. Sam continued to angrily whisper at him for a moment before she noticed that Tucker was staring past her, and she turned to see what he was freaking out about.

Her eyes widened when she saw him, and she quickly turned away again, her posture suddenly tense. Danny started making his way over to his seat but paused halfway. Tucker was watching him with what looked like apprehension. Danny didn’t know how to interpret that look. Was he apprehensive because of Danny, because he was agreeing with Sam? It was he apprehensive because he didn’t want them to fight once Danny sat down next to them?

Danny awkwardly averted his eyes from Tucker and changed directions. He could feel Tuck’s eyes on him the whole way as he made his way to the very back corner of the classroom and sat. When he looked up at Tucker again, the other teen just rolled his eyes and turned back to Sam to continue argue-whispering with her.

Danny sighed as he opened his backpack and began pulling out the homework he’d completed after he got home yesterday. He’d actually had time to do it for once since they only ghost he’d even seen yesterday was Vlad. To distract himself, he looked over his work to make sure he answered every question correctly. But his eyes kept going unfocused and he couldn’t keep his mind on the work before him. 

When class started, the teacher took up everyone’s homework. When she passed Danny, she looked at him weirdly for a moment, undoubtedly noticing that he was in a different spot than usual. But she didn’t comment on it. 

The next classes that he shared with his friends went by mostly the same. He showed up to class later than his other two friends, and he sat as far away from them as possible. The teachers and the other students gave them each weird looks because of it. The three of them seemed inseparable, so it was strange to see them broken up like this. Luckily, Danny didn’t receive any harassment for it from any of the A-Listers. 

They seemed to realize he was probably in enough misery as it was and mercifully let him be for the time being. Ghosts, on the other hand, didn’t really care that he was in emotional distress. Technus attacked the computer lab during third period, and in fifth period Boxy showed up to cause some mischief in one of the storage rooms. He dealt with both of those ghosts without his friends to back him up, and when he was fighting Technus he ended up getting a pretty bad cut on his side that he sloppily stitched up by himself in the boy’s gym locker room when nobody was there to see him. 

When he was in pain and feeling lonely because his friends weren’t there to help patch him up, he felt Vlad’s presence bush against his mind. The man sent waves of comfort through the connection, telling him without words and through emotions, that he was here for him. That he wasn’t as alone as he thought he was. And Danny was grateful for that. It made stitching up his own side slightly more bearable. 

When lunch came around, Danny was ten minutes late to the cafeteria. His side hurt like a bitch, and he wasn’t looking forward to all the eyes that would be zeroed in on him because of his and his friends’ strange behavior. He got his tray of food and sat down at a table that was far, far away from the table he and his friends usually sat at. He was halfway through his meal when he was interrupted by a voice.

“Hey, dude.”

Danny froze with his sandwich still in his mouth and slowly turned to see Tucker standing behind him with his own tray of food. Sam was nowhere to be seen. The other teen looked anxious like he didn’t want to be there. So this was going to be interesting. Tucker obviously didn’t want to be near him, so he couldn’t see this going well at all. 

“Hey, um...” Danny said after setting the sandwich down, unable to meet the other teen’s eyes. “H-how... how are you?”

Tucker shrugged. “I’m as good as I can be.” He paused for a moment, looking at the seat next to Danny. “Is that seat free?” He asked as if there was a possibility it _wouldn’t_ be free. Honestly, who would even sit by him? It’s not like Danny had any other friends. 

“Um...” Danny said, looking down at the seat as well with a raised brow. “Well, yeah... but you don’t have to sit with me if you don’t want to.”

Tucker sat down next to him without hesitation. They sat there in awkward silence for a while as they ate their food. It was weird. Since when were they this awkward around each other? Danny didn’t like it at all. Why was Tucker even here when he clearly would rather be literally anywhere else at the moment? Danny felt his chest tighten uncomfortably.

“So...” Danny spoke up, deciding that the best way around this was to just get straight to the point. There was no way they could talk about anything else without it being too weird to bear. “How’s Sam?”

“Angry, still,” Tucker said, some relief dripping from his tone. It was still awkward, but Danny figured he must have made the right decision since Tucker was starting to relax a little. “I’ve been trying to calm her down, but you know how stubborn she can be.”

Danny frowned but didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. Sam was still mad at him. Nothing had changed since yesterday. 

“You know, Danny, I—"

Tucked was suddenly cut off as a shudder ran through Danny and blue mist escaped through his parted lips. They both looked at each other with wide eyes, understanding what it meant. 

“Well, I gotta go.” Danny said, standing from his spot.

Tucker stood as well. “I’ll help you out.”

“No,” Danny said a little too quickly, shaking his head. “I’m good, I don’t need help. It’s probably just Boxy.”

“Wait, Danny—"

Danny made sure nobody was watching before he turned invisible and sank through the floor, leaving his friend behind. It was the quickest way he could think of to leave before Tucker convinced him to let him help. He didn’t want help, it was too stressful to think about letting either of his friends come near him, especially if Vlad was going to be their topic of conversation. 

For right now, he just wanted to focus on watching whatever ghost was about to start some trouble. 

Turns out, it wasn’t Boxy. It was Lunch Lady, and Danny pretty much got his ass kicked because of how much it hurt to move still. He ended up ripping some of his stitches out while fighting and he had to redo them.

* * *

Danny was pacing anxiously on top of a building in his ghost form. He was halfway to Vlad’s house, and he was getting cold feet. This was exactly why he decided to get ready an hour before he was supposed to show up, and also why he decided to fly there thirty minutes early. Because here he was now, pacing on top of a skyscraper, anxiously biting his nails as he tried to figure out what to do.

He was caught between wanting to run as far away as possible, or actually showing up for a date at _Vlad Masters'_ house. He was scared of what would happen once he actually arrived. Would Vlad want to have sex? They’d already crossed that line, so it wasn’t completely out there. Danny didn’t want to do anything like that tonight, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to say no. Not because he’d be too scared to say no, but because the last times he’d wanted to he actually hadn’t been able to say no. 

He, with every fiber of his being, believed that everything that he and Vlad had done was consensual. Vlad hadn’t done anything that he didn’t want, and the man had been very careful with him. He knew Vlad wouldn’t force himself on him, but he also knew that the times they _had_ done stuff together, it had mostly been because they _had_ to. Their cores basically forced it on them. 

It was like a weird mixture between being forced and being consensual, but either way, it wasn’t like Vlad raped him or anything, and he knew the man would never do that. But what if their cores decided that they should do it all of a sudden? Or what if Vlad decided that he wanted to try something sexual, even though their cores weren’t freaking out? He’d wanted to kiss yesterday, but while that was pretty innocent, it also implied that Vlad _might_ want to take it further. 

Danny let out a frustrated yell and slammed his fist into the door that lead back into the building. It dented and Danny’s eyes widened in shock. Okay, he seriously needed to calm down. He needed to _calm down._ He shook his hand out and took several steps back. He shouldn’t be taking his anger out on random doors. Now someone would have to come up here and fix it, and Danny already caused enough property damage for people as it was. He didn’t need to do it on purpose now, too. 

Danny stepped back and took a deep, deep breath and closed his eyes. He couldn’t stand Vlad up. He _couldn’t._ The man was his soulmates. And maybe it was _Vlad,_ but being soulmates had to mean something. And Danny was a loyal person. He was _loyal_ to the people he cared about, he wouldn’t hurt Vlad by standing him up like a coward. 

So Danny took a few more moments to breathe before he took off into the air and continued making his way to Vlad’s place for their date. 

* * *

Daniel was late. He should have arrived ten minutes ago, to be exact, and Vlad was becoming anxious. It had been a long time since Vlad had actually been on a date, and he was starting to fear that maybe Daniel had stood him up. It was likely, considering how their entire relationship was. It was very possible that the boy freaked out and decided not to come after all. 

Vlad really wanted both of them to become more comfortable with each other. It would be absolute torture if they maintained the same relationship they’d always had now that they had no choice but to regularly have sex with each other. It would be awful and they’d probably never feel good about it afterward. He knew that this whole situation was making Danny panic, so maybe he shouldn’t have asked him on a date in the first place.

Maybe he was taking things far too fast. Or perhaps he seemed too eager and scared Danny off. Or maybe he was terrified of him. Maybe he was more affected by what they’d done than Vlad originally thought. Maybe he felt like Vlad had forced his hand, made him do stuff that he didn’t want to do.

Vlad, admittedly, _had_ wanted to do those things. Ever since their first encounter, Vlad had been craving Danny. It was like, in that moment, his eyes had finally opened to what was in front of him. His feelings for Maddie were fading, and they were fading so fast he could hardly keep up with it. And he was quickly becoming fond of Danny. He was falling for a _teenager._ Of all people, why did it have to be a teenager? Why couldn’t he, at the very least, be eighteen?

He supposed, if it was _any_ teenager, he was glad it was someone like him. A halfa. Someone he could completely be himself around. But he still felt bad that it was happening. He was trying to make the best of the situation, and hopefully, that wasn’t too much for Daniel. 

He just hoped that Danny had been honest with him when he said that Vlad hadn’t hurt him in that way. He’d said that he wasn’t upset about all the... sex stuff. Okay, _maybe_ Danny was. Even Vlad was kind of upset about it, mostly because of the way it went down (and the fact that Danny was underaged, but they certainly hadn’t had a choice about that, and they’d already crossed way over the line. Vlad honestly would have preferred to wait if they’d had a choice in the matter). But Danny said he wasn’t hurt, and didn’t believe that it wasn’t Vlad’s fault. 

After all, it’s not like Vlad could control the fact that they were soulmates anymore than Danny could. But maybe Danny had been lying. Maybe he was hurt by Vlad more than he was willing to admit to the man.

As if his thoughts had jinxed him, he felt a sudden presence of intense frustration in his mind. It was Danny’s emotions. Vlad furrowed his brow. He’d felt frustration from Danny a little while ago, too, but it was quick to fade. Before he had even been able to try and comfort the boy, Danny had calmed himself. But now it was present again, this time much stronger and much more frantic, like he was trying to hurry through something but that something was preventing him.

Impatient frustration. Ah. So maybe Danny wasn’t actually standing him up. Maybe he was actually trying to get here but got caught up by a ghost. With this assumption in mind, Vlad walked into his living room and turned on the TV. On the news, they were live broadcasting Danny Phantom, who was currently in a heated battle with Technus. It was happening over the arcade, which was actually fairly close to Vlad’s neighborhood. 

Without even thinking about it, Vlad transformed into Plasmius and phased through the roof of his house, intend on finding Danny and helping him. He couldn’t just leave his soulmate hanging, now could he?

* * *

Danny howled in pain as he was thrown into the ground, the concrete around him shattering into pieces and creating a dent that was at least a foot long radius around him. Before he could even reorient himself, he was being dragged upwards by his left leg. He made a weak attempt to grab at the ground, to pull himself away from his attacker, but it proved useless, and he was quickly dangling in the air upside down.

Just a few moments after he’d convinced himself that he shouldn’t stand Vlad up, Technus came out of nowhere and knocked him out of the sky. He’d taken over an entire arcade and was using the arcade games, all mashed together, as his suit. There was no doubt in Danny’s mind that the arcade owner was probably never going to get those games back unscathed, and he felt bad that he didn’t have a choice but to fight and destroy them. 

He liked arcade games. In fact, he’d visited this specific arcade many, many times before. Why did ghosts have to ruin _everything?_ First, he half died, then the ghosts around him started tormenting him, then his core decided that he was supposed to be in a taboo relationship with his arch-nemesis, and now ghosts were preventing him from going on a date with said nemesis.

Vlad didn’t like it when people were late. He was always so precise and on-time. He was probably going to get an ear-full from the man once he finally managed to get Technus in his damn thermos. And right now, he wasn’t doing a super great job at it. In fact, he was awful. His game was thoroughly thrown off by all the shit he was dealing with.

His injured side wasn’t making things any easier, either. It hurt every time he moved. It was fine when he was in his human form. The injury didn’t cross over a whole lot. But in his ghost form, it was bad. Bad enough that it significantly reduced his mobility, and the pain made it harder to think. 

“Ghost Child! You seemed to have lost your touch!” Technus laughed as he threw Danny across the street and he crashed through a window of a thrift store. He knocked over several racks of clothing and crashed into the ground in a pile of junk. Several people from within the store screamed in horror and ran further back into the building, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. 

A few others, who were fairly used to the ghost attacks by now, just stared at the scene apathetically. The man running the register just sighed, knowing that he’d have to clean up the mess once this was over.

Danny panted where he was on the ground for a moment before he forced himself up, his arms shaking underneath him. He winced when he twisted his body slightly, his side radiating with pain. There were slashes in his suit, and he was covered in scrapes and bruises. This was going terribly. Technus was still cackling to himself, no doubt hysterical over the fact that it was as so easy to fight him right now. It had been a while since Technus had the upper hand against him. 

When he was done laughing and scaring the absolute shit out of some of the civilians around them, he slowly started making his way towards Danny, probably to grab him and throw him into another store. People were going to hate him more than ever after this. There was so much property damage from this fight that it was becoming unreasonable. He forced himself to his feet and staggered out of the thrift store, glass crunching under his boots.

He couldn’t give up, even if it killed him all the way. 

“That’s probably ‘cause I’ve had no time to _charge up_ since the last time we fought!” Danny growled out, sounding as irritated as he felt on the inside. He couldn’t even make good puns, he was so frustrated. Was that really the best he could do? He needed to _charge up?_

He’d lost his touch, and he knew he’d be thinking about that line and cringing about it tonight while he was trying to sleep. 

“Augh!” Technus yelled, throwing his mechanical fist in Danny’s direction. The teen simply leaped into the air and flew well out of range of the swing. Instead, it clipped the corner of the thrift store, shattering another window. “You and your infernal technology puns!”

Danny shot an ectoblast into Technus’ face, which was on the screen of the arcade game that was acting as Technus’ head, and made the ghost’s face look all pixelated. The blast sent the technology ghost careening backward as he yelled in frustration. At least Technus thought his pun was decent enough to be enraged by it. 

He started throwing more ectoblasts while Technus was distracted, trying to keep him down so he couldn’t attack again. He kept flying around him in circles to keep him disoriented, slowly guiding him down the street and away from other buildings he could destroy, or steal electronics from.He tried to freeze his feet to the ground too, so he couldn’t move and cause more damage, but it backfired when Technus started swatting at him in the air like he was an annoying bug, and managed to hit him. Danny was once again sent slamming into the ground and rolling a good few feet across the street. He didn’t stop until he slammed into the curb. 

Pain erupted from his side, and he gasped in agony, seeing ectoplasm seep through a slice in his suit that was over his already existing wound. He was too distracted by the pain to dodge when Technus tried to slam his fist down onto him like he was trying to squash a bug, but he _did_ barely manage to throw up a green force field. Man, he was really off his game today. Usually, he was much better at fighting off Technus. He’d even defeated him without his friends on plenty of occasions. What the hell was wrong with him today?! 

Technus slammed his fist down on the force field again, and Danny felt his entire body shake from the strain of keeping his powers from failing on him. Then he did it again. And again and again and again, and cracks were starting to spiderweb across the barrier. And just when he was sure Tenhnus was going to break through and squish him like a bug, a pink-colored ectoblast came flying out of nowhere and slammed into Technus and he was sent flying backward into the ground once again. The entire world shook when he landed, and the ice that had encased his feet shattered into a million pieces. 

Danny let the force field fall and he collapsed against the ground in a heap of exhaustion, resting his elbows on the curb so he could still see what was happening. But he didn’t let himself rest long. He still had to get up and fight. He forced himself to sit up, only... Technus wasn’t attacking him anymore? In fact, the other ghost wasn’t even paying attention to him anymore. 

He was fighting something else. Some _one_ else. 

Danny’s mouth actually dropped when he realized it was Plasmius who was flying around Technus, fighting him off. He watched as the man cloned himself and split four ways, circling around the other ghost and using a rope he’d made out of his own ectoplasm to wrangle him. It was kind of amusing to watch, and Vlad looked like he had things handled so Danny leaned back on his hands and just watched, trying to catch his breath in the meantime. He’d jump back in if it looked like Vlad needed him, but so far things looked like they were running smoothly. 

Technus continued to scream bloody murder as Vlad attacked him, slowly reducing his mobility with the ropes. Eventually, he managed to tie each of his limbs to his body, and he did one final pull on the ropes to tighten them, which forced Technus to go stiff and straight. He lost the ability to balance and fell face-first into the ground with Vlad on top of him, his own feet digging into his back to direct which way he fell. The fall once again shook the world, causing Danny to flinch and the citizens around them to scream. 

Vlad’s clones merged back together as he gracefully stepped off of Technus, who was groaning pathetically, and started hurriedly making his way towards Danny. The ropes prevented Technus from getting up again, even as he struggled and grumbled put a few threats. 

“Phantom!” Vlad yelled, using his hero name since there were civilians nearby watching them in shocked horror. 

Plasmius was publicly known as Phantom’s arch-nemesis, and a few people were pointing in horror as the vampire-like ghost crouched down in front of an injured Phantom. Danny hadn’t even considered how being publicly friendly with Plasmius would affect his reputation. Not that his reputation wasn’t already tarnished around every corner, but still. People might look down on him for suddenly becoming an ally with the meanest ghost of them all.

Not that he could do anything about it now. Vlad was hovering over him right now, probably not even thinking about the odd picture they currently painted for the citizens of Amity Park. 

“What’re you doing here?” Danny asked with a worried frown, his eyes darting around at all the confused faces around them. He could see some reporters down the street, who were intently focused on the two of them. Wasn’t Vlad supposed to be in his own home waiting for him to show up for their date or something?

“Are you injured?” Vlad asked, completely ignoring his question as he grabbed the arm that Danny had been holding firmly to his side. He noticed the tear in his suit was leaking ectoplasm. “Sugar cookies, you’re bleeding.”

“I-I-I’m fine!” Danny yelped, trying to swat Vlad’s hands away from him when he reached for his injuries. His heart was pounding in his chest. Just what did Vlad think he was doing? He wasn’t some damsel in distress. He could take care of himself. He didn’t even ask Vlad to come here. “We might have to r-rescheduled the...” The young half ghost trailed off with a wince as he tried to sit up more.

There was no way he could go on a date right now. He was too hurt. And today had been a terrible day anyway, so he shouldn’t risk any further disappointment. Not with this streak of bad luck and sadness. 

“Nonsense, I can patch you up back at my place.” Vlad said, and before Danny could protest, he lifted Danny into the air with one arm behind his back, and the other under his legs. 

Danny yelped in pain upon being jostled so suddenly. He stared at Vlad with wide, panicked eyes as he wrapped his arms around the man’s neck reflectively so he wouldn’t fall. Everything was moving too quickly. _Vlad was going to patch him up? What?_ He agreed to go on a _date,_ but that had nothing to do with Vlad apparently becoming his new medic. And he _certainly_ never told Vlad he wanted his help fighting other ghosts. He _never_ agreed to this. “What? Plasmius, I can patch myself up—"

“Please, let me, Phantom, it’s much easier to let someone else help out once in a while.” Vlad took off into the air, fleeing the scene. Danny gasped and tightened his hold on Plasmius’ neck, shaking like a leaf. Flying by himself was much different from someone else carrying him. He was used to being able to control how gravity affected him. Now he didn’t have a say in the matter.

People gasped and pointed in shock as Vlad took him away. They were probably fearing for the young hero, thinking that Plasmius was up to no good and was going to hurt him. It was almost funny that they didn’t know Plasmius’ intentions were actually to help. 

“W-wait, I still gotta get Technus in the thermos!” Danny protested, watching the other ghost’s form quickly get smaller and smaller. He reached out over Vlad’s shoulder desperately, as if he could go back just by holding out his hand. 

“Don’t bother, I sent the Red Huntress after him. She’ll put him in one of my containment devices and then give it to me so I can send him back to the Ghost Zone myself.” Vlad reassured him as they neared Vlad’s house invisibly (wouldn’t want anyone to see their ghost forms entering the mayor’s house, now would they?). Vlad was far faster than Danny was at flying, and the teen could feel the wind whipping through his hair and messing up all the work he’d put into styling it. Hopefully, the mess wouldn’t transfer over into his human form. 

Once they reached the house, Vlad sank down through the ceiling and through several floors until they reached the lab. He set Danny down on one of the desks and immediately began peeling back the tear in the teen’s suit so he could see his injured side. Danny tried to push his hands away again but Vlad persisted anyway, ignoring his protests. He even went as far as to phase through Danny’s hands to get to his side.

“Vlad!” Danny snapped, face growing green in frustration. He didn’t ask for help. He didn’t _need_ it. 

“Relax, Daniel, I’m not going to hurt you.” Vlad rolled his eyes at him. He opened one of the drawers on the desk and pulled out a med-kit. “I’m going to disinfect and sew it closed. It looks like you already tried to sew it earlier, am I correct?”

“Um,” Danny narrowed his eyes at him. “Y-yeah...”

“Well, you did a terrible job.” Vlad snickered. 

“Hey!” Danny glared. “I did my _best,_ okay?! Usually, Sam does it because Tucker doesn’t have the stomach for it, and I’m not very good at it, but—" He clamped his mouth shut, remembering the reason that he and Sam weren’t talking anymore. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Today was bad. It was just really, really bad. 

Vlad’s brows furrowed in concern as he transformed back into Masters and opened up the med-kit. “I know that you two are currently not on the best terms, but shouldn’t they both at least still be there for you when you need it? They wouldn’t be very good friends if they just abandoned you in your ghost fighting troubles over a fight involving something entirely unrelated.”

Danny looked away from Vlad, not answering. He didn’t really know what to say. His friends had clearly ditched him, and it would be humiliating to admit it to who was supposed to be his enemy. He was still getting used to the fact that he wasn’t supposed to hate Vlad anymore. So instead, he just glared at the wall on the other side of the room. 

“Oh, Daniel,” Vlad sighed, running a hand through Danny’s ethereal white hair affectionately. “If I had known this was why you felt so alone earlier, I would’ve come to help you. I’m just a phone call away, you know.”

Danny felt himself relax at the comforting touch, his shoulders deflating in defeat. He tried to will himself to pull away, or to at least _feel_ like he wanted to. But he couldn’t. He hadn’t heard any kind words from anyone today. All he’d done was get hurt, emotionally and physically, and feeling Vlad’s hand run through his hair was nice. It was the first nice thing he’d felt all day, so he let the man do as he pleased. 

“I wouldn’t wanna bother you.” The teen said with a sigh. Right now, he didn’t want to bother anyone because he felt like that’s all he did. His friends didn’t even want to help him right now, so why would he even bother to ask someone else? If his friends don’t even want to help him, why would Vlad or anyone else?

“You wouldn’t be bothering me. I _want_ you to ask for help when you need it.” Vlad insisted as he placed a hand on Danny’s cheek. His mouth twitched into a teasing smirk. “There’s no point in suffering alone when you have a handsome bachelor like myself awaiting your every beck and call.”

Danny blushed green and pulled his face away from Vlad’s hand. “You’re so full of it today.” 

Vlad scoffed and shook his head, but the smirk never left his face. “Full of it, you say? Then what do you call this, hm?” He said, reaching into the med-kit to retrieve the proper materials he needed. “Here I am, getting ready to stitch you back together, and you say I’m full of myself.”

Danny furrowed his brows, refusing to meet Vlad’s eyes. “S-sorry.” He muttered, not sure what else he was supposed to say. 

Vlad’s smirk slowly fell. “Daniel?” He set a bottle of disinfectant on the desk before reaching up to Danny again. He brushed some of his hair from his face and tried to find his eyes with his own. Danny still couldn’t look at him, and he quickly pulled away again. Worry fluttered through their connection. “Daniel, you didn’t have any reason to apologize. I thought you and I were quite adept with our bantering.”

Danny finally looked back at him. “W-we are... I’m just...” He sighed. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Bad day?” Vlad asked as if he didn’t already know. Even without their connection, it was pretty obvious. 

Danny nodded anyway. 

“Well, I’m here to listen, just like yesterday.” Vlad said as he reached into the med-kit and began pulling more things out, like the thread for the stitches and bandages.

Danny scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. “It’s just... well...” He thought for a moment. “Today just sucked, alright? Sam’s still mad at me, and... and she and Tucker haven’t really talked to me. Tuck tried to at lunch, but the Lunch Lady ghost appeared so it was cut short...”

“Well, it’s good that Mr. Foley reached out, right?” Vlad asked. He grabbed the bottle of disinfectant and poured a decent amount of it onto a cloth. “Lift your arm, I need to get to your side. This is going to hurt.”

Danny absentmindedly lifted his arm so it wasn’t covering his side. “I-I don’t know... he sort of just said that Sam was still mad at me—OW! _Owww!”_ The teen flinched when Vlad pressed the cloth to his side. It immediately felt like it was on fire, and he could feel his core flare with emotion. Based on Vlad’s wince, Danny had broadcasted that feeling loud and clear. _“Fuck,_ Vlad.” He tried to push away from him again out of reflex.

“I did try to warn you,” Vlad said as he continued to dab at it as gently as possible, wiping away the ectoplasm. “You were saying about Tucker?”

Danny took a moment to remember what they were talking about. He glared at Vlad to get his anger out before relaxing his expression. “That’s all he said. We got interrupted after that and I had to fight the Lunch Lady ghost, like I already said.”

“And he didn’t help out?” Vlad asked. He grabbed a needle and disinfected it before he started to thread it. “Aren’t they always following you around like lost puppies, eager to help?”

“My friends aren’t _lost puppies.”_ Danny grumbled, once again glaring. He might be in a fight with them right now, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t defend them when he had to. 

“My apologies.” Vlad said. He didn’t say anything else on the matter, so Danny didn’t either.

Danny swallowed nervously and looked the opposite direction when Vlad bent down to get closer to his wound. The slash in his suit was big enough so that Vlad wouldn’t need to remove it to stitch it up, and Danny was secretly glad for it. 

“I... I didn’t let him help me...” Danny spoke suddenly, surprising himself. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it, but it was too late now. He hated how impulsive he could be sometimes. 

“I’m doing the first stitch,” Vlad warned. When Danny didn’t say anything, he went ahead and stabbed him with the needle. Danny hissed through his teeth, trying not to let any tears fall. He’d been stitched up more times than he could remember, so he couldn’t act like a baby now. Especially not in front of Vlad. “Why didn’t you let him?”

“I don’t know... he offered to help, but...” Danny said. He almost flinched when Vlad started on the next stitch. “I-I just didn’t want him to...”

“Your friend was trying to be there for you, it seems,” Vlad told him, keeping his voice soft so that he didn’t sound accusatory. Danny winced. “I think you should try to speak to him again. Maybe it would make you feel better.”

“It won’t.” Danny said. 

“Why not?” 

“B-because... it’s weird. Things with both of them are weird.” Danny huffed. “Sam won’t even look at me, and—and Tucker just...”

“Just...?”

Danny’s green eyes shifted around the room uncomfortably. “I would _never_ make him pick sides, okay? But considering the fact that he spent most of his time with Sam today just shows that he _did_ choose a side. And he chose Sam.”

“Just because he spent his day mostly with Miss Manson doesn’t mean he’s picked her side,” Vlad said. “Perhaps he’s been spending all that time with her trying to get Samantha to see reason. She was in the wrong, after all.”

“Ow!” Danny yelped involuntarily.

“Sorry,” Vlad said, wincing slightly as he pulled the needle through Danny’s skin. “I would rather you not doubt my abilities, but I’ve only ever done this for myself. I haven’t stitched someone else up before.”

“It’s fine.” Danny said, pointedly not looking at where Vlad was working on him.Sam had never stitched anyone up ever before she stitched him up for the first time. In fact, she literally googled how to stitch him up the first time because none of them knew how. So he wouldn’t have cared if Vlad was doing this for the first time or not, just as long as he didn’t hurt him more than he needed to. 

“There’s a bright side, you know,” Vlad said, smiling warmly. “Just one more stitch, and we’ll be done.”

“Cause you stabbing me with a needle is _such_ a bright thing to look forward to.” Danny snarked sarcastically. “Never knew you were such a sadist.”

Vlad chuckled darkly. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Daniel.”

Danny blushed, the green hue traveling all the way up to the tips of his ears. He hadn’t meant for it to be _sexual,_ and he had a feeling that Vlad knew that, too. He was going to have to get used to the teasing if that was going to become a regular thing. Vlad stuck him with the needle one last time, ignoring Danny’s pained wince, and then tied it off. 

“There. It’s all done.” Vlad said as he started putting the needle and thread away. “Could you remove your suit from the top half of your body so I can bandage you properly?”

“Oh,” Danny was still blushing deeply. He shrank back from Vlad a little awkwardly. Vlad had never seen his bare chest when he was in ghost form. He _had_ been able to reach his cut through the large slice in his suit, but there was no way he’d be able to wrap him up without removing it. There was no choice in the matter, but that didn’t mean Danny had to be happy about it. There was a good reason why he didn’t want to reveal his chest when he was in ghost form. “Yeah, sure.” He unzipped his suit and pushed it down to his hips.

Vlad paused briefly, his brows furrowing at the sight of the pale green Lichtenberg Figures that spread all the way from the palm of Danny’s hand, up to his shoulder, and a third of the way across his chest. His eyes clearly traced the patterns for a moment. They were actually kind of beautiful, with how the lines separated from each other like branches on a tree. He wanted to study each and every line, to trace his fingers across them, but when he noticed Danny staring back at him, gauging his reaction and looking incredibly self-conscious, he cleared his throat and calmed his expression. He looked like he didn’t even know they were there now. 

He grabbed a washcloth and wiped all the excess ectoplasm from his side, and Danny’s stomach felt like it was doing backflips. He’d expected Vlad to have more of a reaction to his scars, but all he could do was be was glad that he didn’t have to talk about it right now. When most of the ectoplasm was gone, Vlad wrapped the bandage around him, and Danny eagerly pulled his suit back on.

The teen hopped down from the desk and took a few experimental steps to make sure moving didn’t pull at his stitches. Shyly, he looked up at Vlad from under his bangs. “T-thanks, Vlad.”

Vlad smiled warmly and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was warm, even through his suit. “It was no problem at all, Daniel. Now, would you like to reschedule our date, or do you feel well enough to still go on it?”

Danny thought for a moment before he shrugged. He let his transformation wash over him. Green eyes turned baby blue, white hair turned jet black. And his hazmat suit was swapped out for a nice, light blue button-down and black dress pants. But he still had his red and white sneakers on, and Vlad thought it was kind of charming that Danny had put forth even a little bit of effort to look nice for him. He also noted that none of his smaller scrapes and bruises had transferred over to his human form.

“It’s been... a rough day,” Danny told him. His hair was slightly messed up, but it was clear he’d tried to slick it down a little bit with gel before it got ruined in the fight with Technus. “I think a date would be a great way to unwind, just as long as we keep the conversation casual. I’ve had enough deep conversations lately to last me a lifetime.”

“You look nice, Daniel.” Vlad complimented with a smirk, eyeing the boy up and down. Danny’s face was burning bright red under his gaze. “And of course, I plan to keep this date as stress-free as possible. That _is_ the whole point of a date, is it not?”

Danny averted his eyes. Vlad was dressed similarly, with a red button-down, black slacks, and his usual loafers. The top two buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned, showing off a little bit of his chest. “I guess it is. And... and you look nice, too.”

Vlad chuckled. “See? You _do_ think I’m a handsome bachelor.”

Danny barked out a laugh and turned back to him. “You really are full of it!”

“Perhaps just a little.” Vlad placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder and began guiding him to the door that lead out of the lab. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. All they’d ever done in this lab was fight, and he didn’t want that to be what he remembered from this date. 

Before they could make it to the door, however, something flickered into existence in front of them and Danny tensed when he caught sight of it. Vlad cringed and looked away when he heard the boy whisper _“Mom?”_ under his breath in confusion. 

“Hello, sugar plumb!” The Maddie hologram exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together. “Is there anything I can assist you with today?” Her form flickered slightly, her feet just barely hovering off the ground like she was a ghost. 

Danny’s eyes were blazing green when he turned to glare at Vlad. He quickly backed away from the man, fists clenching at his sides so hard that he shook slightly. “You made a hologram of my _mom?!”_ He seethed. 

“Daniel,” Vlad tried, holding his hands up placatingly. Damage control. He needed to do damage control _now._ “Daniel, listen to me—"

_“No,”_ Danny snapped, shaking his head as frustrated tears started to form in his still glowing eyes. Vlad could feel hurt and betrayal and _rage_ through their connection, and it made his core pulse painfully. “No, you haven’t changed at all.”

“Daniel, it’s—" Vlad huffed slightly, trying to figure out how he was supposed to prove that this was all just a misunderstanding. He flailed with his hands slightly, not sure what gesture he was supposed to make. “I made her _before._ Before you and I— before I knew you were my soulmate.” He reached out for Danny only for the teen to hurtle a weak ectoblast at Vlad’s chest.

It sent him stumbling back a few steps. But it was clear that Danny hadn’t done it to hurt him. The boy was capable of much worse, had even _done_ much worse to him. But that blast hadn’t even signed his clothes. Danny wasn’t trying to hurt him. At most, it was a warning shot. There was still a chance to get this all under control.

“Don’t come anywhere near me, Vlad.” Danny growled at him, conjuring another ectoblast in his hand as a warning. His eyes still glowed an acidic green, so bright that they almost left imprints in Vlad’s vision. He would have worried Danny was going to shoot lasers from his eyes if he'd seen the boy display that power in the past, but he was fairly certain the boy didn't know how just yet.

“Daniel—"

“Stop saying my name!” Danny yelled.

Vlad stared at Danny a moment before he managed to make himself speak. Danny had to hear him out. He could at the very least do that for him. “You have to understand, I loved your mother for a very long time. I... I’ll delete the program. I’ll do it right here so you can see, alright?”

Danny shook his head. He wasn’t properly hearing Vlad. He was still distraught and confused and hurt. “You haven’t _changed.”_ He growled. He had the urge to flee right now. He wanted to so badly, but he didn’t. Something was holding him back. 

“I have.” Vlad insisted. “I’m trying to, and I have. Look,” He said, walking back over to the desk and turning on the computer. He gestured to one of the files. It was labeled _‘MaddieEXE.’_ “This is the program.”

The Maddie program flickered out of existence only to immediately reappear next to Vlad. “What are you up to, my dear?” She asked him, smiling eagerly and placing a hand on his shoulder. Obviously, he couldn’t feel it since it was all just an illusion. “Can I help with anything?”

“No,” Vlad responded to the AI and swatted her hand away (his own hand simply phased through hers, but she got the point and removed it) before he turned back to Danny. “Daniel, come here.”

Danny shook his head, his eyes glued to the Maddie program. He was so frustrated right now, and the last thing he wanted to do was listen to Vlad. But for some reason, he was starting to feel compelled to. He was starting to trust Vlad. He knew that was bad, but it couldn’t be helped. 

_“Daniel,”_ Vlad said more sternly, waving his hand for him to come closer. “I need you to come here so you can see this. You _need_ to see it.”

Danny glared at him for a long moment in defiance, but he must have felt Vlad’s desperation or something because the next thing Vlad knew, Danny’s expression softened slightly and he hesitantly made his way to Vlad’s side. The Maddie program moved out of his way, and the boy pointedly ignored it as he looked at the screen. 

Vlad grabbed the mouse and hovered it over the Maddie Program. “This is the program.” He explained again. Danny nodded sharply to indicate that he was listening and watching. Vlad grabbed the program with his mouse and dragged it over to the trash can. He dropped it inside and then erased all the trash that was inside of it. The hologram fizzled out of existence in an instant.

Vlad released a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. That was a huge step in the direction of letting go, and he internally patted himself on the back for making progress. He turned to Danny, whose eyes slowly faded back into baby blue as he stared at the spot that the hologram had just been. He didn’t look back at Vlad. 

“It’s gone,” Vlad told him, watching the teen carefully. Waiting for some kind of reaction. For acknowledgment. “I deleted it.”

Danny's eyes briefly flickered towards him before he looked at the empty spot where the program had last been again. He was processing. 

“The Maddie Program is gone, Danny.” Vlad reiterated, his heart rate elevating slightly. Maybe Danny didn’t understand how big this was for him. 

“Yeah, I can _see_ that.” Danny snapped at him, focusing his gaze on Vlad, finally. 

“Then why are you still looking at me with such contempt?” Vlad scowled at him, feeling disheartened. He could feel that Danny was less angry now, but he was still _angry_.

Had he expected Vlad to just immediately purge everything important to him? This had been his entire _life_ for the past twenty-three years. He couldn’t just throw it all out _overnight_. It was a process. Couldn’t Danny just be happy that he was making progress?

“Because you made a _hologram of my mom_ that called you _pet names.”_ Danny crossed his arms over his chest as he glared back at him. His nose scrunched up at the thought. It seemed this was going to be an ongoing problem for them— Vlad's past affections for Maddie Fenton. Wait till the boy met his _cat._ But they'd cross that bridge when they got there. They couldn't exactly change Cat-Maddie's name at this point. “And I don’t know if I can trust you.”

Vlad looked exasperated. “I just deleted a highly advanced AI program that I created, and you don’t _trust_ me—"

“It’s hard to trust someone who has beat the shit out of me more times than I can even remember.” Danny cut him off. “It’s hard to trust someone who spent the last twenty years of his life trying to steal my mom and kill my dad!”

Vlad’s eyes blazed red before he could think to hold it back. “I understand that our past isn’t exactly ideal, but you should at least account for the fact that we’re _soulmates,_ and I have no intention of—"

“Shut up!” Danny snapped again, and Vlad’s hands clenched at the utter and complete disrespect that the teen had for him. How many times did he have to cut him off in a single conversation? “Just stop, Vlad. Soulmates could mean something entirely different for us, okay? That’s all you care about. I’m a halfa and we’re soulmates. You wouldn’t give a shit about me if I weren’t either of those things!”

Vlad blanched, his mouth gaping for a moment in shock. “That’s what you think? That’s not true—"

“How can you _say_ that?” Danny glared at him, gesturing wildly with his hands in anger. “You never would have even _looked_ at me if you hadn’t figured out what I am! You would have been too busy lusting after my _mom—"_

“Daniel!” Vlad bellowed, suddenly grabbing Danny by the chin and pulling him forward. “I will not stand here and take this from you.”

Danny tried to pull his face away, but Vlad tightened his grip.

“No. Look at me.” Vlad demanded. “Look at me and _listen_. You are a bright young man. You are kind and generous and heroic. And I was drawn to you, before I knew what you were. Before I knew I felt something in my core drawing me to you. I saw your potential before I even knew why you had it.”

Danny phased himself out of Vlad’s hold, his face a light shade of pink. He looked away, small tears forming in his eyes. He was still angry, but it was hard to keep it up when Vlad was saying all those nice things to him. What was Vlad even getting at? Weren’t they supposed to be arguing? 

“Daniel, look at me.” Vlad said, growling in the back of his throat slightly. He could tell the man was still tense, but he was trying not to be. And Danny realized, that for the first time during one of their fights, Vlad was trying to be the bigger person. He was trying to get past his anger and get to the root of the problem so they could solve it. 

Danny looked at him. Actually, really looked at him. He was listening now. He had to. 

“I may have wanted you differently in the past— a son, a prodigy— but I’ve always wanted you. I wanted you before I knew what you were, I knew I wanted you the second I met you.” Vlad said, his voice going a little softer as he went on. “If anything, _you’re_ the one who didn’t want me, the one who _still_ doesn’t want me.”

Danny looked away again, swallowing heavily. 

“Danny, I’m sorry...” Vlad said seriously, hoping that he was conveying how bad he felt. Because he really did feel bad. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve ever done to you. You have no idea how sorry I am, and I’ll do anything to make up for it.”

“It’s not easy to trust you.” Danny whispered. 

“And you think it’s any easier for me to trust _you?”_ Vlad asked him seriously, placing a hand on Danny’s shoulder. 

Danny scowled at him. “I am _very_ trustworthy.”

“Not to me.” Vlad shook his head. “I can’t trust you not to run from me. I can’t trust you not to use what we’ve done together against me.”

Danny was still scowling. “I’m not gonna tell people.”

“You told Samantha and Tucker.” Vlad pointed out.

“That’s different. And it’s not like I told them about—" Danny closed his mouth shut tight, his face turning feeling hot for the umpteenth time that afternoon. 

Vlad sighed and released Danny’s shoulder. The man gave Danny a long, thoughtful look before turning away from him. “This is not easy for me either, you know.”

“I don’t know, you seemed pretty eager to proceed before.” Danny crossed his arms.

Vlad growled under his breath. “That’s because I... I actually like you. I hate feeling like I’m forcing myself on you, because that’s basically what I’m doing. You didn’t want it, but I convinced you.”

Danny’s expression softened slightly, his shoulders sagging. “You didn’t force me. I-I liked it, too. I was just scared.”

“And that’s the problem. You don’t want me to touch you. It frightens you.” Vlad glanced at him. “Admittedly, I haven’t had a significant amount of experience in the past, but I’ve never wanted that kind of reaction out of a lover. And if I felt I might get that reaction, I’d stop. The only reason I didn’t with you was because there was an obligation for us to keep going. Our cores practically _forced_ it, and I couldn’t stop, not unless you verbally told me to stop, or tried to push away. Which you did end up doing the first two times.”

“Vlad,” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “You’re kind of misreading the situation. Yes, I was scared. But you have to remember this. I’m a _virgin._ The only stuff I’ve done is the stuff I’ve done with you, besides a few fake-out make-outs to get out of sticky situations. So _of course,_ anything sexual scares me. It freaks me out because I’ve never done it before. It’s not because it’s you. I mean, it kind of was? But it also kind of wasn’t. I mean, I _did_ like it.”

“But you can’t honestly say that you’d be just as scared if you’d done this sort of thing with other people your own age.” Vlad frowned, gesturing at Danny. “If you did this with _Samantha—"_

“Don’t bring her up.” Danny cut him off. Vlad's eye twitched slightly at the interruption. It was a miracle Vlad hadn't blasted him in the face yet from cutting him off so many times today. _“Please,_ just don’t bring her up.”

“If you did stuff with her, you wouldn’t be as terrified.” Vlad said.

Danny shook his head. “Just stop. Don’t bring Sam up. She is the _last_ person I want to think about.”

“Fine, then Valerie,” Vlad waved his hand out dramatically. “Or that _Paulina_ girl you’ve always been so fond of.”

“VLAD!” Danny snapped. He didn't want to think about any of them. Especially Paulina. She'd humiliated him more times than he could remember at this point. And reliving past embarrassments was _not_ what he wanted to do right now.

Vlad’s mouth closed and he leveled Danny with a glare.

Danny walked up to Vlad, his face passing through several emotions before it settled on calm. Neutral. He was purposely masking his emotions, but when Vlad tried to reach out through their connection, the teen let him without even an ounce of resistance. The connection was stronger now that they were both opened to it. Now that they were physically closer.

Vlad felt that Danny had calmed down. He was docile, passive, vulnerable. He was open, not hiding a single thing from him. 

“I don’t have time for your jealousy bullshit,” Danny said, but it lacked any heat. “I can feel it. I can feel your jealousy.”

Vlad shamefully turned away, but he refused to push Danny’s mind out of his own. He knew the boy could feel his anxiety and pain and jealousy, and it was all he could do to not pull away when Danny was being so open with him. They had to meet halfway if this was ever going to work. 

“Maybe you’re right, you know?” Danny said. “Maybe I would have been less scared if it was with one of them. But our situation is _different_. You’re an older guy who used to beat me up in his free time. It’s gonna take a lot for both of us to build trust. But I wasn’t lying when I said I liked it. I know I ran away the first two times before you could even touch me, but...” he sighed. “I _did_ like it, even... even when I didn’t finish. And we’re in this together now, okay? You’re not the only one who has to change. I have serious trust issues, and it’s not even just you. I have them with everyone. So we both have work to do.”

Vlad sighed. “I supposed you’re right.”

“Of course I am.” Danny smirked boyishly and patted Vlad’s shoulder.

Vlad smiled back at him. “I find it amusing that we just agreed not to have any serious conversations night.”

Danny looked at the floor a little awkwardly. “Ha... yeah.”

“I can make up for it, though.” Vlad offered hesitantly. “If you’ll let me.”

Danny looked up at him with furrowed brows. His confidence immediately seemed like it had been zapped away. “Y-you sure you still wanna do this date?”

Vlad shrugged. “Why not? We shouldn’t let this conversation ruin the whole night. And you seem like you need a pick-me-up anyway.”

Danny’s face was red again, and he didn’t look at Vlad. “W-we’re not gonna... um...”

Vlad waited patiently for Danny to continue with a raised brow.

Danny sighed and looked up at him. “We’re not gonna do anything, um, intimate tonight, right?”

Vlad's eyes widened slightly, his mouth gaping. “Oh, uh... well, I hadn’t planned on it. Unless..."

“No!” Danny said quickly. “Sorry, I just... we haven’t done anything like that when we weren’t, y’know...”

“Daniel, it’s alright.” Vlad placed his hand on Danny’s shoulder and once again started to lead him to the door. “We don’t have to do anything like that unless you wish to. I wasn’t planning on it anytime soon anyway. Not until our next cycle. I... I know we have a lot to work on, so the plan is to take things slow. But if you ever want to move things along, I won’t shy away from it.”

“Right.” Danny nodded, still blushing deeply. “Sounds good to me.”

* * *

The date actually went pretty well. For dinner, Vlad had ordered pizza. When Danny had asked why, the man told him that he thought it would make him feel more at ease. It was kind of thoughtful, actually. Vlad remembered how Danny had reacted to the lobster from the other day and dialed it back a little with the fancy stuff.

Danny decided not to question how Vlad knew he liked black olives on his pepperoni pizza, but he _did_ get into a small debate over Vlad’s own preferences. The man liked pineapple pizza. Honestly, how dare he? The argument was light and playfully and ended with Vlad saying he could like the ‘bad’ pizza if he wanted.

When they’d finished eating, they put the leftovers in the fridge. Vlad told him he’d have to come back soon so he could eat the rest, and Danny agreed that he’d try to stop by for lunch tomorrow. Then they hung out in one of the living rooms, and they discussed the numerous uses of their powers that they’d discovered. 

Vlad freaked Danny out a little by using his powers to mimic other people’s voices. He was especially weirded out when the man mimicked Jack’s boisterous voice. He also talked about how he could shape his ectoplasm into basically anything he wanted if he thought about it hard enough. Danny told Vlad more about his ghostly whale, which hurt his throat quite a lot and basically drained all of his powers within seconds unless he did at proper intervals. 

It was interesting, discussing the differences between them. And Danny was glad that Vlad didn’t offer to teach him anything like he usually did. They didn’t need to get into _that_ whole conversation just yet. But it was nice to talk about it. He didn’t really get to discuss it with anyone besides Sam and Tuck, but even then, the conversation could get a little dull because his friends didn’t fully understand it.

Vlad did, though. He knew exactly what Danny was talking about when he talked about the subtle pulls and sways he felt in his core, the trickling of energy he felt in his veins when he used his powers. Vlad understood on a level that nobody else could. Not even other ghosts, because it was entirely different for them. 

Even though they had more to talk about, eventually they had to stop the conversation so they could get the movie started in Vlad’s home theater. They only had so much time before Danny had to go home. He _did_ have a curfew, after all. The home theater was a decent size, with chairs and sofas and love seats. Hesitantly, the two of them chose to sit in the love seat that was in the center. 

The movie Vlad put on for them was one of the newer movies that weren’t even out in theaters yet. It was one that Danny had been wanting to see for weeks since he’d seen the trailer, and the tension bled from him as it was replaced with excitement. Vlad just smiled softly at him, happy that he’d made the right choice. 

As the movie slowly progressed, Danny slowly got closer and closer to Vlad until the man noticed and wrapped an arm around him. He pulled the teen closer into his side and Danny rested his head on the man’s chest. It was a little awkward and tense at first, but they both eventually managed to relax and just watch the movie in peace. 

When the movie was over, and Danny was heading for the door, Vlad stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Danny looked at him with wide eyes, uncertain about what was happening. And then Vlad leaned close and pressed a gentle and brief kiss to Danny’s lips. 

“Goodnight, Daniel.” Vlad said softly like he was hesitant to speak. Like it would break the spell.

Danny’s eyes practically had stars in them. His heart pounded inside his chest, and he could feel his core pound with it. “Night, Fruit Loop.”

Before any more words could pass between them, Danny transformed and flew home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Cats can feel your heartbeat with their whiskers! I don't know why, but this is just adorable to me. I'm a proud cat owner and it was super cool to learn. (I should include Cat-Maddie in his fic at some point... hmmm). 
> 
> (=^-ω-^=)~ 
> 
> /ᐠ𝅒 ‸ 𝅒ᐟ\ﾉ
> 
> ~(=◕ᆽ◕ฺ=)


	6. Crushed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang has lunch with Vladimir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty passive-aggressive chapter. 0-0
> 
> Or maybe it's just straight-up aggressive. Idk

The next day at school, Danny showed up at his locker alone once again. Tucker and Sam were nowhere to be seen, and he hadn’t gotten any text messages from either of them. And it hurt. It hurt a lot. It kind of felt like his only friends were turning on him, and he was completely out of control of the situation. 

Maybe he should try to talk to Tucker. Vlad said it would be a good idea, but... then again, taking friendship advice from someone who hates their only friend (Jack) didn’t seem like the best idea. He could still try it, but only if Tucker spoke to him first, though. He would try not to dismiss him like he had before because now that he’s been able to think about it, it was kind of mean. Tucker didn’t deserve to be treated like that. And his friends had told him time and time again, that Danny shouldn’t have to push them away for any reason. They were here for him, no matter what. 

Danny gathered the stuff he needed from his locker before heading to class. When he entered the classroom, it turned out that today, Sam and Tuck had both decided to stare at the door until he arrived. They had been waiting for him. Danny froze for a second when he made eye contact with them, and he felt uncertain and awkward as they continued to stare at him expectantly. But they didn’t move to get up or try to start a conversation, so Danny started making his way to the seat he’d sat in yesterday. Halfway there, he was interrupted.

“Danny, stop.” Tucker sighed, sounding almost disappointed that Danny hadn’t made the first move. “You don’t have to do that, dude. Just come sit with us, okay?”

Danny looked at them. Sam was glaring, and Tucker looked like he was mentally begging him for help. He looked back at the seat he’d been heading to for a moment before he changed his course and sat by his friends in his usual spot. He didn’t say anything, and they both just stared at him for a long moment. It was incredibly awkward, and Danny was starting to really contemplate just turning invisible and leaving when Sam finally decided to speak. 

“I want to talk to him.” She said, expression carefully blank as she looked at him. 

Danny furrowed his brows, sputtering for a moment in confusion. Did she mean Vlad? Why in the world would she want to talk to him? “You... w-what?”

“After school, we’re going to his house,” Sam stated, gaze unwavering. She was eerily calm and collected, completely sure of herself and this decision. “And we’re talking.”

“Why?” Danny asked, still partially in disbelief. That’s the _last_ thing he wanted to happen— Vlad and his friends having a _conversation_. There was no way that would go over well at all. There would be fighting and arguing and... well, it would just be a mess. Like it always was. His friends did not like Vlad, and they were very honest people. They didn’t pretend for the sake of others, and Vlad wouldn’t in this situation, either. 

“Dude, just don’t...” Tucker said, letting his head fall on his desk. He seemed tired. “She’s set on this. You can’t change her mind. I tried.”

Danny leaned back in his seat. He spared his friend a sympathetic glance before facing Sam again. “I already told you, this isn’t a you thing, this is a me and Vlad thing.”

“I know,” Sam said, looking down at her desk. A contemplative, regretful expression passed over her face. “Look, Danny. I’ve... had time to think.” She folded her hands in front of her carefully. She was trying her best to appear calm and neutral. “And... I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. It was wrong of me to say the things that I did. But... you have to understand—"

“There’s nothing to understand, you just—" Danny shook his head in frustration, clenching his hands under the table where nobody could see. He knew why she was upset, but he also knew that Sam was being a little unreasonable. “It’s not your business, Sam.”

“I said, _I know,”_ Sam repeated, glaring at him for a moment before her expression softened into something more apologetic. “You’re my best friend. You and Tucker both. So it’s easy for me to worry about you guys, especially _you,_ Danny. Your life is at risk every day—"

Danny scoffed, and the words came bubbling up his throat before he could think better of them. “You guys didn’t seem too worried about that yesterday.”

Sam and Tucker both turned away guiltily.

Danny turned away as well. He hadn’t meant to say that. He really, really hadn’t. But it had just come out. He internally groaned as he leaned forward slightly and ran a hand through his hair. Why had he said that? He didn’t want to make his friends upset or make them feel guilty for something that wasn’t even their responsibility. It was unfair to them, and he felt like an idiot for saying something so stupid to them. 

“You’re right,” Tucker spoke up shakily. “I’m sorry, too. We shouldn’t have put our personal problems before our ghostly ones.”

Danny sighed, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. He really hadn’t meant to say that. He _shouldn’t_ have said it. It wasn’t their responsibility to fight the ghosts, it was Danny Phantom’s. “No, I’m sorry... about that part. I shouldn’t have snapped. Sorry. It’s not your responsibility...” 

“No, man... we saw the news. Vlad had to swoop in and save you from Technus, and we were nowhere in sight.” Tucker said, shaking his head. He frowned at Danny worriedly. “We should’ve been there. You were right. We’re supposed to be your sidekicks. We’re supposed to be there when you need us, and we weren’t. We won’t make that mistake again.”

“Danny,” Sam started, reaching across the desk to grab his hand. Danny almost flinched away from her, but he held back. “I just... want to talk to him. To put my mind at ease, okay? I know it’s not about me. I _know_. But you’re still my best friend, and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I am okay,” Danny said softly. And when it came to Vlad, that statement was true. Sure, it was still super weird and it freaked him out a lot, but Vlad was... he seemed different. He was trying, and that fact was undeniable. “Vlad and I are working it out. You don’t have to worry.”

“I still want to talk to him.” Sam said.

Danny pulled his hand away and looked down at the desk guiltily. How couldn’t they see how bad of an idea that was? How couldn’t they see the horrible position that would put him in? Whose side was he supposed to choose in that situation? He used to be against Vlad, but now things were different. He couldn’t choose either side. 

Sam’s expression fell. “Danny...”

“Can’t you just trust me?” Danny pleaded, looking between them. “Things are... Vlad is _different_. I know exactly how crazy that sounds, _trust me,_ I know. But it’s true. And we’re working through it.”

“I do trust you, Danny,” Sam said with a heavy sigh. “I just don’t see what the big deal is.”

Tucker sat up slightly and cleared his throat. “You know what? I’m going to make this easier for _each_ of us.” He said, giving them both pointed looks. “We’re going to treat this situation the same way we would treat it if any one of us got a boyfriend or girlfriend.”

Danny blushed, his eyes darting around the room for a second like he was searching for the nearest exit. This was almost worse than his friends and Vlad actually interacting. “Um... Vlad’s not my boyfriend.” And that was true. Even if they _had_ gone on a date, it didn’t mean they were together. They’d never made anything official, and Danny didn’t _want_ it to be. Soulmates were as official as he’d allow it to be for now. And that’s because he didn’t really have a choice _but_ to allow it. 

“He might as well be.” Tucker rolled his eyes. “He is _literally_ your soulmate. So we’re going to talk to him, and _Sam,”_ He turned to glare pointedly at her. She narrowed her eyes back at him. “You’re not going to be mean. The only mean thing you’re going to be allowed to say is that you’ll kill him if he hurts Danny.”

Sam rolled her eyes. 

“Fine,” Danny said, even though bringing his friends with him to Vlad’s place was the last thing he wanted to do. He knew they weren’t going to let it go, and if he kept denying them, he was sure that they’d just go to his house anyway. Even if it was without him. But there was still one trump card he had left. “But only if he agrees.”

There was no way Vlad would let his friends come over. The man had made it very clear that he hated them as much as he had hated Danny in the past. 

“That slimy bastard isn’t—"

“Sam,” Tucker cut her off. “Let him at least ask, okay?”

Sam huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair and giving Danny an expectant look. Danny rose a brow, confused.

“Well? You gonna call him?” Sam prompted, waving a hand at him. 

Danny’s eyes widened. “Y-you mean right now? Like, you want me to ask him if we can come over?”

“Yes, I want you to ask him.” Sam rolled her eyes again. 

“I-I can’t just— he’s probably busy!” Danny protested, his eyes shifting anxiously. 

“Danny, just call the man and ask.” Tucker sighed, resting his head on his hand and rubbing at his eyes under his glasses. “Please, let's just get this over with.”

Danny glared at both of them before he grabbed his phone from his pocket and pulled up Vlad Masters’ contact information. He’d never called Vlad before. He only had this contact because when his parents bought the phone, they put all of the ‘important’ people in his contacts. Just in case. He was sure Vlad had his number, too, for obvious reasons. There were a lot of things Vlad knew about him that were a result of his past schemes. 

Danny looked at his friends. They were watching him, and it made him uncomfortable. Yeah, there was no way he’d get through this phone call with them looking at him like that. “I’m gonna call him alone.” He said, standing from his desk stiffly.

“What? No, you’re not, I wanna hear.” Sam said, standing as well with a determined expression. 

“You don’t need to hear. You just need a yes or no.” Danny glared, holding his phone to his chest like he was trying to hide it. 

“Sam, just let him go.” Tucker said.

“No! I want to make _sure—"_

The classroom was empty besides the three of them. Not even the teacher was there. They were early for once, so Danny didn’t hesitate before he turned invisible and intangible and flew up through the ceiling away from them. He heard Sam call after him but he ignored her. On top of the roof, Danny began pacing as panic shot through him. What was he supposed to do? This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. 

Vlad and his friends were supposed to be separate. They were two completely different worlds. Worlds that he didn’t want to crash together. And he didn’t want to deal with the fighting or the awkwardness that would come with it. He didn’t want to deal with Sam trying to get dirt on Vlad that wasn’t there, or Vlad getting jealous over Sam even though he was pretty sure he couldn’t leave Vlad even if he wanted to (not that they were together, but still). And he definitely didn’t want to attempt and fail at damage control with Tucker.

Meeting up would just be a mess. A mess he didn’t want to clean. He just didn’t want to deal with it. None of it. His friends were one part of his life, and Vlad was another, very separate part of his life. They weren’t supposed to collide.

Danny froze when he suddenly felt another presence in his mind that wasn’t his own. He could feel Vlad’s emotions again. He was worried. He was asking if Danny was okay. 

Might as well get it over with and call him. Vlad probably wouldn’t want them to come over, right? There was no way. Vlad didn’t like his friends. He never had. Back when they were still enemies, he’d always complain about how annoying their presence was, since they were pretty damn good at helping him. Why would Vlad allow them to come over if he hated them? Vlad just had to say no, and all of his problems would be over. 

Danny pulled out his phone again and dialed Vlad’s number. He pressed the phone to his ear as he continued to pace. Vlad answered on the fourth ring.

_“Daniel? Usually, I’d say it was pleasant to hear from you so suddenly, but something tells me you’re not alright.”_ Vlad said, obviously hinting to the mild panic he’d felt through their connection. _“What’s the matter?”_

“Um,” Danny was still pacing, trying to gather his thoughts. He really hoped Vlad said no. Ancients, he had to say no. Vlad was his last hope. _Please say no._ “Uhh, how do I say this?”

_“Say what, Daniel?”_ Vlad asked.

“So, Sam—" Danny cut himself off, growling in frustration. He clenched his fist at his side. “I mean, my _friends_. They want to talk to you.”

Vlad was silent. Silent wasn’t good.

Danny smacked his palm into his forehead, trying to figure out how to fix this. “Ugh, it wasn’t my idea, okay? I just walked into class and they cornered me. They want to meet up after school or something and _talk,_ whatever that means. I mean, you and I were already planning on meeting for lunch, but I didn’t tell them that, and-and-and I really never should have told them that we’re soulmates, and—"

_“Daniel, breathe,”_ Vlad cut him off softly. He sent calming waves through their connection, and Danny welcomed them gratefully. _“Just breath for a moment, okay?”_

“O-okay,” Danny stammered, trying to slow down. Trying to breathe. He welcomed Vlad’s comfort into his mind and let it was over him. It was strange, how natural this was starting to feel. They were getting used to the connection, and maybe even starting to depend on it. Honestly, Danny was finding it easier to calm down from panic attacks these days, and it was all because of Vlad. “Okay.” He said more calmly this time.

_“Now listen,”_ Vlad said, slowly. He sounded kind of distracted. Maybe he was working on something? _“You can bring your friends along for lunch if you wish.”_

“What?” Danny froze. He hadn’t been expecting _that_ response at all. “Wait, seriously?”

_“...yes?”_ Vlad said uncertainly. _“I mean, it only makes sense.”_

“So you agree with them.” Danny sat down on the roof, crossing his legs underneath himself. He would have kept pacing, but honestly, his legs kind of felt like jello right now. He sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and trying to process what was happening. “You _agree_ that it’s a good idea to talk to them.”

_“Yes,”_ Vlad said, more certain this time. _“I knew this would happen at some point. Although I’m a little surprised it’s happening so soon.”_

Danny laughed. He couldn’t help it, it just came out of him. He looked up towards the sky like it was its fault that this was happening to him. “What has my life become?”

_“I ask myself that quite frequently nowadays, Little Badger.”_ Vlad chuckled. _“You have nothing to fear. I will be as pleasant to your friends as possible, and I’ll order more pizza.”_

Danny placed a hand on his forehead, barely holding back a groan. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

_“I’ll see you at lunch, Daniel,”_ Vlad said, sounding slightly distracted again. Yeah, he was definitely working right now. But it was nice that he took the time to answer Danny’s call. _“Don’t stress over it too much. Everything will be fine. I apologize for cutting this short, but I really must return to my meeting.”_

“Wait, Vlad—" The line cut. Danny sighed and lowered his phone, staring down at it incredulously. “Seriously? You _too?_ What is with you people?”

This isn’t at all what he wanted. Maybe Vlad misread him. Maybe he thought Danny _wanted_ his friends to talk to him. But either way, there was no going back now. It was set in stone. 

His friends were coming to lunch.

* * *

Danny avoided talking to his friends about Vlad for the rest of the morning. He sat away from them again in their classes, and when they fought Boxy during third period, he repeatedly told them that they’d talk about it more at lunch. When lunch finally did roll around, Danny transformed and grabbed his friends without explaining what was happening until they were already on their way.

“So we’re meeting him for lunch?” Tucker asked. “I thought we were meeting him after school.”

“He invited us for lunch.” Danny said, not looking at him.

“And maybe we would have _known_ that if you’d talked to us before then.” Sam huffed, brushing her hair out of her face as they flew at a decent speed through the air. 

Danny was holding onto his friends by their arms. He was glad that whenever he touched his friends, he could extend his powers to them temporarily. It made it a lot easier to protect them when it was needed, like if he had to turn them intangible when something came hurtling at them, or invisible when they all had to hide. It was especially useful when they were flying since they would float with him instead of just dragging him down like dead-weight. 

“Well, _maybe_ I just don’t want to talk about it.” Danny said. 

“Why are you so against this?” Sam asked. “Are there any _big_ secrets you’re trying to hide from us?”

_ Yes. _

Being soulmates meant that they occasionally got super horny and had to fuck each other so they wouldn’t be in an agonizing amount of pain. But he couldn’t tell them that because he’d literally die of a heart attack if they knew about it. 

_“No,”_ Danny said instead. “It just makes me uncomfortable.” At least it was a half-truth. He didn’t like lying to his friends, but right now, this was just something that he wanted to keep to himself. He deserved at least some semblance of privacy in this situation. “Look, guys, this thing with Vlad is new. We’re still figuring stuff out, and honestly, the last thing I need is you two getting involved with everything we’ve been working on.”

“What have you guys been working on?” Tucker asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. “What even _is_ there to work on?”

“Mostly just figuring out how to not hate each other.” Danny muttered. 

“How can you _not_ hate him?” Sam asked. “Just because he’s your soulmate, it doesn’t mean he’s changed. He’s still the same guy who has hurt you in unimaginable ways.”

Danny sighed but didn’t say anything. He was tired. This argument was going nowhere. And he already felt like he was on his way to own execution, so he didn’t need the added pressure of another screaming match. 

“Sam, I’ve told you already, you need to _back off,”_ Tucker scolded. “What’s your freaking problem? Do you think this is _easy_ for Danny?”

“Tucker, it’s _Vlad,”_ Sam said. “You know we can’t trust him. He could seriously hurt Danny if we let our guard down, and—"

And that’s when Danny decided to tune them out and he just focused on flying to Vlad’s house. He was half tempted to ditch his friends on the ground and make them walk back to the school, but he knew he’d feel too guilty if he tried. His friends bickered the rest of the way but thankfully quieted down when Vlad’s house came into view.

Danny phased them through the front door and let his friends go so fast that Tucker actually almost lost his balance. “Vlad! We’re here! Sorry for not knocking!” He shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to be louder. He felt a presence press at his mind, and he knew Vlad was close.

The next thing he knew, Vlad was phasing up through the floor in his ghost form and blue mist escaped his mouth, mirroring the red mist that escaped Vlad’s. The man let his feet touch the ground and transformed back into Masters. Danny followed suit and transformed back into Fenton.

“Ah, just in time,” Vlad said, smiling at the trio. And it wasn’t even his face politician smile, he seemed genuinely happy to see them. Danny wondered distantly in his mind when he’d learned how to differentiate Vlad’s smiles. “The pizza arrived five minutes ago and is still plenty hot. Come along, you three.” He began making his way to the kitchen.

Danny followed automatically, not even looking back to see if his friends were coming with. His brow was furrowed and his shoulders felt far too tense. He was on edge. He felt like how he always felt when his ghost sense went off and he hadn’t properly located the other ghost. He was just waiting for the inevitable chaos, and he was uncertain as to if he could even stop it. 

When they reached the kitchen, there were three pizza boxes stacked on top of the Island. Vlad sat down on one of the stools, and Danny sat down next to him without a second thought. Turns out, his friends _had_ been following them and Sam sat across from Danny while Tucker sat across from Vlad. Danny didn’t miss the way Sam’s gaze remained trained on Vlad’s every move, her violet eyes alight with agitation and suspicion. Tucker looked more relaxed than Sam and immediately started drooling at the pizza boxes even though he couldn’t even see the pizza yet.

Vlad reached for the first box and opened it up. “Ah, this one is for Samantha.” He said, sliding it over to her. “I hope I am up to date with your dietary preferences.”

“It’s _Sam.”_ She said, opening the box so everyone could see. It was a vegetarian pizza. Tucker scrunched up his nose at the sight of the ‘abomination,’ as he’d called Sam’s preferred pizza many, many times before. “And yes, you are apparently up to date.”

The next box was slid over to Tucker. When opened, Danny noticed that it was the meat lover's pizza. His friend immediately picked up a slice and shoved it in his mouth. “Ffhanks, Mr.Maffurs!” He said with his mouth full. 

Danny did the honors of opening the last box. It was half with olives, half with pineapple. Vlad grinned and reached over to take one of the pineapple slices. “I got half and half since we still have leftover pizza in the fridge if we’re still hungry after.”

“Thanks, Vlad.” Danny said, only half focused on his words. He took a slice for himself and began eating. 

“Can I get you any drinks?” Vlad asked, standing from his spot and making his way to the fridge.

“Do you have Dr. Pepper?” Tucker asked, already halfway through his second slice. “Oh! And Sam’s probably too proud to say it, but she likes Sprite.”

“Tucker!” Sam hissed. She hadn’t even touched her pizza yet. She’d only poked at it suspiciously. 

“Yes, I have plenty of soda options,” Vlad said, gathering a few liters from the fridge and some glasses from the cabinet. “Daniel? Would you like anything?”

Danny looked up from his plate, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. “Huh? Oh.” He ducked his head slightly. “I’ll have some water, please.”

Vlad nodded. He gave everyone their drinks before sitting back down at his spot next to Danny. He’d gotten water for himself as well.

“You seem like you’ve packed your pantry for a teenager.” Tucker said.

“Well, if I’m going to be having Daniel over more frequently, the least I could do is accommodate for his needs and preferences. And if you two decide to come over more often, too, then that’s all the more reason to stock my kitchen with the appropriate food.” Vlad said coolly, seeming unaffected by the undertones of Tucker’s statement. “Is there something wrong with your pizza, Sam?”

Sam narrowed her eyes at Vlad. “I’m just not hungry.”

Vlad smiled politely at her. “I know you don’t trust me, but I promise you I haven’t tampered with it.”

“Yeah,” Tucker said, looking at Sam with wide eyes. He was starting on his third slice. “Cause if he did, I’d probably be dead by now if it was poisoned.”

“Yeah, okay. I know it’s not poisoned.” Sam rolled her eyes and looked away. She narrowed her eyes at the pizza in front of her before hesitantly taking off a slice and trying a small bite of it. 

“So Daniel,” Vlad changed the subject, turning his attention to the quietest person at the table. He could tell the boy was upset, he could feel it through the connection, but he didn’t know why. Wasn’t this was Daniel wanted? For his friends to come over and get more acquainted with him? “How has school been so far today?”

“You mean the school you had us skip to meet you for lunch?” Sam snapped.

Danny glared at her and spoke up before Vlad could. “You’re the one who wanted to come here in the first place!”

“I said _after_ school, not during.” Sam argued. 

“Well, I was gonna come here for lunch without you guys originally, so it doesn’t matter!” Danny growled. 

“School has been fine!” Tucker practically squeaked. “It’s been good. Danny’s been good, too, and we only had to fight Boxy— er, the Box Ghost today, so that was nice. Usually, we have to fight someone more powerful, but not today.”

“If you don’t count fighting _Plasmius_...” Sam muttered under her breath. 

“The only people I see fighting is me and you,” Danny muttered back, glaring down at his plate. “Here Vlad is, being all nice, buying you _vegetarian pizza,_ and getting drinks for you, and you _still_ have to insult him. And he’s not even being mean to you back!”

“You think _vegetarian pizza_ and _sprite_ makes up for all the shit he’s done in the past?” Sam gestured at the man without looking at him. She was too busy glaring at Danny. 

“I can’t do this right now,” Danny said, dropping the pizza he’d only taken a couple of bites from onto his plate. “I’m done. I’m gonna leave. Fight Vlad without me, ‘cause I’m done!” He got up from his stool and stormed off.

“Danny, wait!” Tucker called, getting up to run after him. They both quickly left the room, and their voices got quieter the further down the hallway they went until they couldn’t be heard at all. 

It was silent for several moments.

“And then there were two.” Vlad said, mostly just to fill the awkward silence. He grabbed a slice of his pineapple pizza and took a bite. 

“What did you do to him?” Sam asked, narrowing her eyes. 

Vlad shrugged and smirked at her teasingly. “Nothing at all, my dear.”

“Bullshit,” Sam said, throwing her slice of pizza back into the box and crossing her arms. “You _did_ something to him. I don’t know what it was. Could be mind control, or something else entirely. But I intend to figure it out.”

Vlad laughed, setting down his pizza. Now came the real conversation. This talk had been inevitable, he knew. “There’s nothing to figure out, but I’ll be fun to watch you try. I believe our situation inspires a lot of jealousy from your end.”

Sam’s face flared red.

“Hit a nerve, have I?” Vlad said, smiling darkly. “Your crush on Daniel is quite obvious.”

“It isn’t like that. Danny’s my _friend—"_

Vlad cut her off with a tsk. “Come now, _Samantha,_ there’s no need to lie to me. After all, we’re rivals now. Though, I do have to say I _am_ at quite the advantage. You know, with being destined for each other and all that.”

“Why, because you’re _soulmates?”_ Sam spat the word like it left a bitter taste in her mouth. “Cut the shit, Vlad. If we’re not lying to each other, that means you, too.”

Vlad’s smile only widened. He found so much amusement in this conversation, it was truly fun to tease someone like this. He was finally on the winning side of a love triangle. “But I’m _not_ lying. This revelation came as a shock to me just as much as it did to Daniel. I’d known before that all ghosts had soulmates, but I never imagined, as halfas, we’d have ones ourselves. _Let alone,_ it be each other.”

“You and Danny are still half-human.” Sam pointed out. “That means it works differently, right?”

Vlad’s smile slow fell.

“Just because you’re connected, it doesn’t mean he loves you.” Sam continued. “And he _never_ will, if I can smack some sense into him. He might be tied to you, but that doesn’t have to mean anything.”

Vlad’s eyes flashed red for a second before he managed to calm himself. “Well, you don’t seem to be doing so well for yourself, either. Especially with all the lecturing you’ve been doing about something that he is unable to control.”

“At least he doesn’t hate me.” Sam shot back.

“Daniel doesn’t hate me.” Vlad said, not missing a beat. Because that, he was certain of. Maybe Danny didn’t love him and, as Sam said, it was possible that he never would. But he knew Danny didn’t hate him. The boy had even told him so. 

Sam looked uncomfortable. “And how would _you_ know?”

“Because he told me.” Vlad said, grabbing his slice of pizza and taking another bite.

Sam reached into her pizza box and grabbed her slice again, staring at Vlad with her sharp gaze the entire time. “When you hurt him, I’ll kill you. Whatever you’re doing, it’s going to break him.”

Vlad frowned. “I have no intention of hurting him.”

Sam laughed incredulously. “I’ll believe that when pigs fly.”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you.” Vlad sneered. “Pigs _do_ fly in his Ghost Zone.”

“Shut up, Plasmius.” Sam growled at him. 

Vlad rolled his eyes. “Daniel always has better quips than you.”

Sam didn’t speak again. She just glared at him and ate her pizza. Vlad ate his own pizza, glaring back at her with equal resentment.

* * *

“Danny!” Tucker called again. “Dude, wait up!”

_“What?!”_ Danny spun around to face him, eyes blazing green. “What do you _want?”_

Tucker blanched. “Whoa, dude,” He held up his hands. “Relax with the scary eyes.”

Danny sighed and closed his eyes, mentally forcing himself to calm down. It was all he’d been doing all day. When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Tucker expectantly. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Tucker nodded, looking mildly less concerned. “Are you alright, man?”

“No, I’m not alright.” Danny rolled his eyes and turned back around to keep walking through Vlad’s stupid mansion of a house. Why did he even need a house this big? It’s not like he lived with anyone else.

Tucker jogged to catch up with him. “Wanna talk about it?”

Danny glared at him. “No.”

“Aw, come _on.”_ Tucker groaned dramatically. “You haven’t talked to me in _days._ And I know you’re stressed, so vent. Let it all out. I’ll be your shoulder to cry on!”

Danny huffed, but he couldn’t stop the small smile that twitched at his lips. Why was Tucker always so ridiculous, but in the best way? “I’m not gonna cry.”

“But you could, and I’d be totally chill,” Tucker said, in that half-joking, half-serious tone. “I’m here for you, dude.”

Danny paused. He’d walked into a dead end. A living room. He walked the rest of the way into the room and collapsed onto one of the sofas. He sighed. “I just wish Sam would relax with the whole Vlad thing.”

Tucker sat in one of the recliners and immediately leaned back in it, getting as comfy as possible. “The girl can’t help it. She’s just... worried. I mean, I’m kind of worried, too.”

Danny sunk deeper into his spot. “And you guys think I’m _not_ worried? I mean, Vlad hasn’t given me any recent reasons to freak out, but still. You guys should trust me more. I know when to bail.”

Tucker shrugged. “You and Vlad have a rocky past. Being worried is reasonable for us. But Sam... well, Sam has been the one who took care of us since your accident. I just think she’s a little _overprotective_ when it’s about Vlad, since, y’know... he was your arch-nemesis, and all.”

Danny buried his face in his hands. “Vlad thinks Sam has a crush on me.”

Tucker bursted into laughter. “He _thinks?_ Dude, he _knows._ Sam totally has a crush on you. There’s no doubt.”

Danny made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a small yell. He threw his hands back down and stood. He began to pace across the carpet, chewing on his thumbnail. He was anxious. Antsy. He couldn’t stay still. 

“What am I supposed to do, Tucker?” He turned to his friend, pausing for just a moment. _“So_ Sam likes me. She never told me, and now it’s too late.”

“So you _are_ with Vlad?” Tucker rose a brow.

“No!”

“Then how is it too late?” Tucker crossed his arms over his chest.

Danny started pacing again. “Because he’s my soulmate.”

“You and Vlad don’t even know what that means.” Tucker waved him off. “You don’t _have_ to be with him, Danny.”

Danny frowned. Even if he decided not to be with Vlad, he could never be loyal to anyone else. He could never be loyal to Sam. Not that he wanted to be with her, but still. He used to _think_ he wanted to. She was the person he thought he might fall in love with one day. But now he knew he could never be loyal to her, even if he _did_ fall in love with her.

Every time he and Vlad had a ‘cycle’ he’d be forced to cheat. And Danny was a fiercely loyal person. He’d never be able to live with himself if that happened. Unless he became human again, he’d never be able to date anyone but Vlad. And he doubted he’d ever be human again in his lifetime. 

Danny sighed and sat down again. “I... I don’t feel that way about Sam. I know everyone keeps saying or thinking that I do, but I don’t. I love her... but she’s my _best friend.”_

Tucker snorted. “I always thought you two were gonna get to together one day.”

“So did I!” Danny waved his hands around the room pointedly. “But I guess that’s not happening! I thought, y’know, _maybe_ one day, when we were older and more mature, and I didn’t have to worry about ghosts so much anymore, we’d get even closer and fall in love. But nope! That’s just not happening.”

“And now you and Vlad will probably end up together.” Tucker said.

Danny tensed up. Even now, after they’d gone on a date, the thought was still weird to him. “I don’t wanna think about that.”

“It won’t be so bad.” Tucker shrugged. “I know the dude’s a crazy Fruit Loop, but he’s clearly making an effort to impress you. Being nice to me and Sam when he doesn’t have to, getting the specific pizza that we like. And I bet there’s probably other stuff, too. Stuff that you haven’t told us.”

Danny blushed and looked away.

Tucker chuckled. “The dude’s totally trying to _romance_ you. And this is about the craziest thing I’ve ever said, but maybe you should let him. You’re soulmates, you’re meant to be together. And if it turns out it doesn’t work between you two, you have two _awesome_ ghost hunting friends that will happily kick his ass.”

“You...” Danny narrowed his eyes at Tucker. “You want me to... _let_ Vlad ‘romance’ me?”

“Dude, who the fuck else can actually, honestly say that they found their _soulmate?”_ Tucker said. “Some people say it because they think they’ve found the love of their life, but they can never be sure because breakups happen all the time. But with you and Vlad, you can know for _certain_ that you’re meant to be together.”

Danny just stared at Tucker for a moment, unable to respond. He’d heard Tucker say plenty of cheesy romance things before, but this was on a different level. 

“What?” Tucker’s brows scrunched together. “I read a lot of romance novels.”

Danny rose a brow. “Since when do you read actual _books?”_

“Since I got an app for it on my PDA.” Tucker rolled his eyes, pouting slightly in clear offense. “Don’t judge me, I’m allowed to do what I want. And plus, it’s popular with the _ladies._ All I have to do is copy what the guys do in the books, and I’ll be picking up girls like never before.”

Danny let out a breath of relief. “Okay, _there’s_ the Tucker I know. I thought I lost you there for a moment.”

* * *

When Tucker and Danny returned to the kitchen, they were met with the sight of Vlad doing the dishes and Sam glaring at his back. Tucker sat next to Sam and started conversing with her in hushed whispers. It’s like sometimes they forgot that the other two people in the room had inhuman hearing and had no trouble listening in on the conversation. 

Regardless, it was just Tucker asking Sam what happened while they were gone, and then Sam complaining about wanting to leave. Danny decided to tune them out and he walked up to where Vlad was. The man turned to him with a raised brow, pausing briefly in his scrubbing to look at him.

“Can I get you something, Daniel?” He asked in a hushed voice. But it seemed sort of unnecessary since Sam and Tucker had started bickering behind them and were very clearly distracted.

Danny shook his head and reached into the sink to grab one of the dishes and a scrub brush. Might as well help him since he didn’t have anything else to do. “Don’t you have servants or maids to do this for you?”

“I have a weekly cleaner, but I do the dishes myself.” Vlad said.

“Why?” Danny asked.

“I don’t trust easily,” Vlad answered him quietly. “And I want to be able to use my powers as I please within my own home. Although, I do occasionally hire ghosts to do some errands around my home so I don’t have to worry about it.”

Danny furrowed his brow, a sudden revelation coming to mind. He stopped scrubbing and turned to look up at Vlad, eyes widening. “Wait. I don’t know how I never thought of this before, but... me, my friends, and Jazz are the only people who know you’re half-ghost, right? You’ve never told anyone before? Well, besides the ghosts, anyway.”

Vlad shrugged. “There’s not really anyone to tell it to.”

“And you’ve never, like, been accidentally discovered? Not even when you first got your powers?” Danny asked. He couldn’t believe he’d never thought about these things before. Vlad had always seemed sort of superficial when they were enemies. In Danny's head, the older half-ghost been an untouchable force that didn’t have a personality underneath his villain persona. 

Danny felt kind of bad now for having thought that way about Vlad. How shallow was he? Vlad was just as real and... well, _human_ as he was. And it must have been lonely going so many years without anyone knowing what he was. 

“I did turn invisible a few times in front of the nurses back when my powers first started to come in, but it was written off as an effect of the ecto-acne,” Vlad explained, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Once it cleared up, nobody gave any more thought on the matter. They believed I would have no more ghostly fluctuations. Clearly, they were wrong.”

Danny had forgotten about the hospital. Vlad spent years there after his accident. How could he have forgotten something like that? Why hadn’t he thought more about this until now? He could almost... understand the things that Vlad had done in the past if he really considered all the hardships the man had faced. 

“My parents... they really never visited you?” Danny asked absentmindedly, still partly lost in his thoughts about how cruel he’d been to never acknowledge the pain Vlad had gone through. 

Vlad froze.

Danny’s eyes widened, and his mind quickly replayed the question he’d just asked. “Sorry! You don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s just...” Vlad sighed, setting the last cleaned plate to the side and placing his hands on the edge of the counter. “Your parents didn’t give you all the details, did they?”

Danny looked away, feeling shame even though he knew it wasn’t his fault that his parents never really told them about Vlad until the reunion. Hadn’t they been best friends? Why had his parents waited so long to even mention Vlad existed? “They didn’t.”

Vlad scoffed, a bitter, hurt feeling fluttering through the connection. Danny winced, finally understanding just how upset the situation had made the man. His parents had betrayed Vlad, even if they didn’t realize it. “Figures.”

Danny didn’t feel like rising to defend his parents, just this once. He’d never really thought about it before, but not being there for the friend that got hurt in an accident _they_ caused was a kind of shitty thing to do. After Danny’s own accident, Tucker and Sam were admittedly a little freaked out. But not for a single moment had he feared that they would abandon him, and they made it very clear that they would never even think to do something like that. 

Jack and Maddie had left Vlad to suffer in his greatest time of need. And for that, part of Danny was disappointed in them. He loved his parents unconditionally, but he couldn’t deny that what they’d done to Vlad was terrible.

“You don’t have to tell me right now,” Danny whispered since his friends had seemed to quiet down a little in the background. “But if you ever want to explain, I’ll be here to listen.”

Vlad was staring down at the soapy water in the sink. With a sigh, he turned to Danny and reached over to ruffle his hair. Danny’s face reddened at the sudden show of affection. “I’ll tell you soon.”

Danny nodded and turned back to his friends, who were getting up from their seats. 

“Danny, lunch is ending soon,” Sam said with a sigh, looking mildly irritated. “We should get back.”

“Thanks for the pizza, Mr. Masters,” Tucker said with a smile. "It was delicious!"

“Please, call me Vlad.” The older half-ghost said, smiling back at him pleasantly. 

“Only if you call me Tuck!” The techno-geek said.

“It was a pleasure to have you both over, Sam and Tuck,” Vlad said, waving them off with a small smile. “You’re welcome to come back anytime.”

Sam looked him up and down, scrutinizing him with her sharp gaze. “Remember, if you hurt him, I’ll kick your ass.” 

“No offense, but same from me.” Tucker chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I’d expect nothing less from such loyal and dependable friends.” Vlad chuckled. “But you have nothing to worry about. Hurting Daniel is the last thing I want.”

“Alright, let's go,” Danny said, transforming into Phantom and grabbing his friends by their arms. He was eager to get out of there as soon as possible so that there was no chance of another fight. “Thanks for having us, Fruit Loop.”

“Anytime, Little Badger.”

The flight back to the school was silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fffFFFUUUGGDEE, guess who just got their driver's license today? Literally can't believe I passed the test. I was not confident at all. But I did! Yay me!


	7. Purloin the Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A robbery. That's it. That's all you gotta know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy like... juggling online school, moving into a new house, aaaaaannd visiting distant family members. So yeah I haven't even opened my laptop in like two-ish weeks lol. I hope this chapter really catches everyone's interest though lol. No freaking idea how I managed to come up with this storyline I'm leading into, but my muse was being quite generous when I thought it up. The next few chapters are gonna be pretty plot-heavy, and I'm super excited about it. I hope you guys enjoy!

Danny was deeply focused on writing the essay Mr. Lancer had assigned the class today. He was at his desk, hunched over his keyboard at an uncomfortable angle while his mind was a storm of confusing thoughts. He’d felt Vlad send over his curiosity a few times while he’d been working, but he ignored it. He was probably wondering why Danny seemed so perpetually confused. And it would be embarrassing to admit to the man that it was all because of some random homework assignment, so explaining himself was out of the question. 

The essay he was doing was about a book that he’d only half paid attention to in class, and he mostly had to rely on reviews online to figure out what to write. It wasn’t the most conventional way to do his homework, but he didn’t have the book with him so it was all he had. He was working on the last paragraph when his phone lit up and _Welcome to the Black Parade_ by My Chemical Romance started playing. It was the ringtone that Sam had chosen for herself.

Danny groaned and swiped to answer on his phone before holding it up to his ear. “Hey, Sam,” He said, leaning back and spinning around in his desk chair so that he was facing away from his computer. He needed a quick break from that essay anyway. “What’s up?”

He hoped it wasn’t about Vlad.

_“Danny, I need you to do me a favor, and you can’t ask questions.”_ Sam said. 

Danny furrowed his brow. It wasn’t the first time Sam was so mysterious and cryptic about something (it was literally just in her nature), but he was always sort of surprised when she did something random like this. “What do you need, Sam?”

_“I need you to get me into Vlad’s library without him knowing,”_ Sam said in a hushed tone. Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Of course, it was about Vlad. Why was he not surprised? _“You can feel him in your head, so you could probably feel if he’s asleep, too, right?”_

Now that he thought about it, yeah. He kind of could feel when Vlad was sleeping. It was like a deep, relaxed calm. One that didn’t change as frequently as it would if Vlad were awake. But there was no way he was going to sneak Sam into Vlad’s library. Not without a valid reason. And even if there was a good reason, he didn’t feel right going behind Vlad’s back like that. If Sam had a serious problem with the man, he’d rather they ask Vlad to let them look around instead of sneaking around and possibly ruining whatever trust they’d managed to build with each other. 

“No. I mean, yes, I know when he’s sleeping. But no. I’m not doing that for you.” Danny said with a frown. “And tomorrow I’m gonna warn Vlad that you have the intention of trying.”

That seemed pretty reasonable. He knew a few months ago he probably would’ve been all for breaking into Vlad’s house, but things were different now. And he couldn’t just let Sam do this. 

_“No! Danny, please, I really need you to do this.”_ Sam pleaded, sounding more desperate than before. _“I know you’re pissed at me, but I just need you to trust me. Just for tonight. You can go back to hating me tomorrow.”_

“What’s this about, Sam?” Danny asked again. “I’m not taking you anywhere unless you tell me.”

Sam sighed on the other end. _“I have a theory, and I need to prove it.”_

“Is it about Vlad?” Danny asked, raising a brow even though Sam couldn’t see it. 

_“No.”_ Sam said, but Danny could hear a little hesitation in her voice. As if she could read his mind, she continued to speak. _“Not completely, anyway. It’s about... well, it’s about ghost cores. And that may or may not involve Vlad’s ghost core.”_

Danny was speechless as he processed her words. What was Sam up to? Why was she even thinking about ghost cores? It was very concerning that she was so interested in this subject currently. 

_“Danny, please, just take me to his library,”_ Sam said in exasperation, the desperation still clear in her tone. She was starting to beg him. _“I need you to do this for me. It’s important.”_

Danny shook his head. And then he realized that Sam couldn’t see him, so he vocalized it. “No. If you have any questions about cores, you can ask Vlad himself. He knows a lot about them. And better yet, you can ask Clockwork. I can take you to him tonight if you want.”

_“There’s a specific book I’m looking for,”_ Sam said quickly. _“I used the chip that Technus gave each of us on the Christmas Truce. The one that allows us to connect to the Ghost Zone’s Internet servers?”_

The Ghost Zone’s Internet wasn’t used often and was not nearly as advanced as the normal internet. But it did have maps and locations you could look up, and even some knowledge on ghostly artifacts that were scattered throughout the dimension. It was mostly Ghost Writer who kept it updated, and Technus that kept the servers up and running. Danny was given three chips from Technus, which allowed him and his friends to access it whenever they liked. It was a particularly generous gift. 

“What’s the book?” Danny asked.

_“Oh, it’s just a book about cores.”_ Sam answered.

“What, _specifically,_ are you trying to find in that book?” Danny growled, becoming fed up with the conversation. She wasn’t directly answering his questions, and he didn’t appreciate being treated like some little kid who couldn’t handle the full truth. 

_“I’ll show you when we get there,”_ Sam growled back at him. _“I’m already outside Vlad’s stupid mansion, so get your ass over here already.”_

“What?!” Danny rose his voice. What the fuck was she thinking?! 

_“Ugh, just meet me here! I’m going with or without you, so whether you like it or not, my safety is in your hands!”_ Sam yelled before hanging up the phone abruptly.

Danny glared at his phone when the dial tone started. He could not believe the sheer _audacity_ that Sam had right now to literally _force_ Danny to break into Vlad’s house. He really didn’t want to do this. They were building trust, and the last thing he wanted to do was break it. And wouldn’t that be ironic? The hero breaks the villain’s trust. Yeah, Danny didn’t want to have to deal with that. 

The teen looked down at his phone again, conflicted. Should he call Vlad? Should he tell him what was going on? He could get Sam into a lot of trouble if he did. Danny didn’t doubt that Vlad would find some sort of way to punish her. He knew Vlad wouldn’t physically hurt her, but he _would_ get her back somehow. He also knew that Vlad occasionally hired ghostly guards. He’d told him earlier today when they all had lunch, so he was certain of that information. But he’d also had to deal with a few back when they used to be enemies and he had to break into Vlad’s house for some reason or another.

Should he tell Vlad or help Sam? He couldn’t figure out which option was worse. Whose trust he should break. God, Danny hated this. He _hated_ this. He didn’t know what to do. 

If he helped Sam, there was a possibility that Vlad would catch them and it would ruin the progress they’d made so far. If he told Vlad what was happening with Sam, he would be betraying her instead and she would get into a massive amount of trouble. So... if he told Vlad what Sam was doing, somebody got hurt no matter what. But if he helped Sam... there was a chance that nobody got hurt and they left before anything could happen.

Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was extremely reluctant, but helping Sam it was. It was the path that would hopefully hurt the least amount of people.

* * *

Danny was getting pretty close to Vlad’s house, cutting through the park’s forest to get there, when his trained ears picked up a rustling in the trees that wasn’t from the wind. He paused, turning himself invisible as his eyes darted around, looking down through the leaves in search of anything worthy of his attention. 

His eyes landed on something metal poking out from the leaves, and he slowly floated down through the branches intangibly to see what it was. He was startled when he came face to face with Sam, who was perched on a very high branch with a pair of binoculars. She was focused on Vlad’s house with all of her attention. 

Danny grinned and flew behind her, getting his face as close to her ear before suddenly whispering, _“Boo!”_

“AHH!” Sam yelped, her foot slipping off the branch. She would have fallen off if Danny hadn’t grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back up. The ghost boy turned visible again, his natural glow reflecting off of Sam’s annoyed face.

“Daniel James Fenton! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Sam scolded. 

Danny grinned boyishly. “Sorry.”

“You better be.” She grumbled, lifting the binoculars back up and looking at Vlad’s house.

Danny leaned a little closer to Sam, trying to see what she was staring at. He could see Vlad’s house and through some of the windows, but he couldn’t see any details from this far away. “So, what are you looking for?”

“Vlad’s in his office,” Sam said. “See?” She offered him the binoculars and pointed at one of the windows. 

Danny reluctantly took the binoculars and looked in the direction that Sam had pointed. Through the lenses, he could vaguely see Vlad’s back. He was sitting in his office chair, hunched over his mahogany desk. Danny almost laughed at that. He and Vlad had been basically sitting in the same positions over their work. 

He lowered the binoculars and handed them back to Sam. He rose a brow at his goth friend. “So? Why does that matter?”

“Because I’m waiting for him to go to bed,” Sam explained. “Do you know what time your boyfriend goes to bed?”

Danny furrowed his brows, his cheeks flushing green. “Vlad’s not my boyfriend.”

Sam laughed. “He basically is.”

“He’s not.”

“He is.”

“I think it’s more annoying when you call him my boyfriend than it is when you yell at me for trusting him.” Danny mumbled.

Sam lowered the binoculars and rose a brow at Danny. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Danny stared back at her, completely deadpan. Even after everything, it was still too weird to think of Vlad as his _boyfriend._

His parents’ friend from college. The mayor of Amity Park. Danny’s _arch-nemesis._ Yeah, after all those titles, he wasn’t quite ready to call Vlad his _boyfriend._ He was still trying to get used to the whole soulmate thing. 

“Whatever. What time does he go to bed?” Sam asked.

Danny rolled his eyes. “How am I supposed to know? It’s not like I time him whenever—"

“Shh! _Shh!”_ Sam cut him off suddenly. “He’s moving!”

Danny sighed, looking back at Vlad’s house. _“Sam.”_

“Just be quiet.” Sam whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” Danny asked, scowling at her.

“Are you _trying_ to annoy me?” Sam growled at him, still focused on Vlad’s movements.

“Me?” Danny placed a hand over his chest like he was offended and took on a sarcastic tone. “Trying to annoy _you?_ No way!”

“Danny, just _shut up.”_ Sam shoved his shoulder, causing Danny to dramatically fall against the trunk of the tree. 

Danny sighed and crossed his arms, getting comfortable on the branch of the tree as he watched Sam patiently. “You know you were being pretty manipulative earlier, right?”

Sam didn’t say anything. She just continued to stare through the binoculars.  Danny’s green eyes narrowed. 

As if Sam could feel his burning gaze, she sighed and lowered the binoculars so she could look at him. “I wasn’t being manipulative.”

Danny scoffed. “So _‘I’m going with without you’_ and _‘my safety is in your hands’_ wasn’t manipulative at all?” 

A guilty look crossed Sam’s face and she looked away. She probably hadn’t even realized how that sounded until Danny had pointed it out just now. 

“I know you don’t trust Vlad, but you’ve got to stop this.” Danny hugged himself tighter. “I’m constantly on my toes around him. I don’t let my guard down. I don’t trust him fully yet, either, and the guy’s my _soulmate.”_

“Danny,” Sam’s shoulders hunched forward slightly. She sighed. “Look. I’m sorry. I really, really am sorry. I hate that we’re fighting like this. I wish things could just go back to normal. But this is the only, and the _last_ thing I will ask of you. This book I’m trying to get— it’s _important.”_

“How do you even know Vlad _has_ it?” Danny asked, not even sure if this venture was worth the effort. He didn’t think Vlad had been up to anything nefarious since they’d become soulmates. 

“Because online GhostWriter said he gave it to Vlad as a gift on the last Christmas Truce.” Sam sighed, looking very tired with continuously having to explain herself. 

“What is with you and the Christmas Truce today?”

“I dunno, the fact that it was discussed twice today is just a weird coincidence.” Sam huffed, turning to Danny with a pleading look. “But seriously, I need that book.”

Danny stared at her for a long moment. If he wanted to, he could grab Sam now and fly her home against her will. That way, he would at the very least not have to deal with this tonight. But something in her gaze told him that this book wasn’t just about Vlad. Sam was looking for something that was probably related to Vlad, but not entirely about him.

Danny sighed, slumping down the trunk of the tree slightly and spreading out on the branch. “You have three minutes to convince me.”

“Okay,” Sam said, turning to Danny and straightening herself out. “When I find that book, it’ll either prove or disprove a theory of mine. If the theory is disproven, then I’ll stop complaining about Vlad.”

Danny hesitated. “And if your theory is proven?”

“Then I’ll tell you about it,” Sam said, smiling sadly. “But if you don’t care for it, then I’ll stop complaining then, too.”

Danny frowned. “So if whatever crime you think Vlad did is proven, you’ll be satisfied?”

“Danny, this isn’t about Vlad. I’m after _actual_ knowledge.” Sam said, using her hands as she spoke. “There’s something I’m trying to figure out, and if it’s true,” She looked at him meaningfully and grabbed one of his hands. “...then I hope I can put that knowledge to use. If you’ll let me.”

“Well, I need to know what it is, first.” Danny said, letting Sam hold onto his hand for now. 

Sam shook her head. “You don’t need to worry about it unless my theory is proven.”

Danny stared at Sam. The goth stared back, and they were quickly caught up in a staring contest, waiting for whoever would back down first. Danny was the first to crack, and he looked away with a huff. 

“Fine.” He said.

A smile split across Sam’s face. “Awesome! I promise, if my theory is proven, you won’t regret it.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

* * *

They waited in the trees for another hour and a half. Sam watched Vlad through the binoculars and when he eventually started going up a pair of stairs, Danny listened around inside his own head for the subtle connection between them to tell him that Vlad was asleep. When he finally was, Danny picked Sam up bridal style, since it was the easiest way to carry her, and flew them into Vlad’s house. 

They got turned around a few times trying to get to the library, and they had to turn invisible and duck behind a corner when a ghostly guard came flying down the hallway on patrol. But eventually, they made it. The lights were off, and they didn’t want to accidentally alert anyone of their presence, so instead of turning on the slights, Danny conjured an ectoblast in his hand. He had to focus on concentrating the light until it was bright enough to light up a ten-foot radius around them with green. 

Sam immediately began snooping, looking at the titles of the books and pulling them halfway off the shelves like she was trying to find a secret door or something. She had one of her hands wrapped around Danny’s wrist, guiding his hand— the one that carried their only source of light— around so she could read the titles. 

“Sam, there are no ghostly books in here.” Danny grumbled in a whisper. All the books he’d seen were normal. And besides, Vlad wouldn’t have just left important ghostly books lying out in the open. He was smarter than that. 

“He’s probably got a section for it, and it’s probably hidden,” Sam said, pulling another book out. She frowned when it did nothing and she put it back in place. “Your boyfriend literally reeks the cartoon villain trope. He’s gotta have a secret lair for his ghost books.”

“Okay, one,” Danny said, giving her a pointed look. “He’s not my boyfriend. And two, my _not_ -boyfriend is _not_ a cartoon villain.”

He'd probably called Vlad a cartoon villain to his face before, but that wasn't the point.

Sam gave him a flat look. “First of all, he’s literally your soulmate. So he’s basically your boyfriend. And second of all, the man _does_ have creepy lairs that we’ve both seen. And he has a cat and he uses deserts as curse words. He’s literally the embodiment of a Saturday morning cartoon villain.” As an afterthought, she added, “Plus, you both openly call each other your _arch-nemeses,_ which is a little childish and definitely cartoon-villain versus cartoon-hero style.”

Danny returned her flat look. He really couldn’t see Vlad as a cartoon villain after what they’d done together, but Sam did have a point. “You’re weird.”

“I’m a goth. What’s your excuse?” Sam rolled her eyes.

Danny snorted and gestured down at himself, in all of his glowing ghostly glory. “I’m half dead?”

Sam couldn’t help but snort as well. “Fair point. Sorry.”

“Can you let go of my hand?” Danny asked.

“Only if you stay close.” Sam said. 

Danny sighed. “I-I think... I learned a new trick.”

Sam looked up from the books and turned to Danny with her full attention. She was always attentive when it came to his powers and was there to help him through any roadblocks. “What’s the trick?”

“Well... it happened once several months ago?” Danny said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I was messing around with my powers when I did this.” He pointed at his hand, which still held a charged ectoblast that hadn’t been shot off. “And then somehow it turned into an independently floating ball of solid glowing ectoplasm that followed me around. It didn’t fade until I turned back into a human.”

“Well, how did you do it?” Sam asked. 

“I don’t remember.” Danny blinked back at her. 

Sam sighed. “Danny, you have to remember this kind of stuff.”

“I’ll figure it out, just give me a second.” Danny said, transferring the ectoblast so that the energy output was shared equally between both of his hands. Sam’s eyes sparkled as they reflected the green light. 

Danny concentrated on it, trying to remember what he had been doing that night. He’d been on top of the roof of his home, laying on his back as he stared up at the stars. He’d eventually remembered something about how Vlad sometimes shaped his ectoplasm into other stuff, like swords and ropes. So he’d promptly attempted to do it himself. 

It resulted in a lot of frustration and a broken TV satellite dish, which his father had later been enraged by and accurately claimed that a ghost must have done it, but eventually, he’d managed to form his ectoplasm into a solid ball of matter that floated and glowed. Danny narrowed his eyes at the one currently in his hand. It was a normally charged ectoblast right now, and if he wanted to shoot it, he could at any moment. 

He thought about compressing it together as tightly as possible, and he felt his fingertips tingle as the energy passed through his hands. The light pulsed slightly, so Danny focused on it more. The ball of light in his hands slowly became more solid and round, its surface hardening and becoming glassy, but no less bright. 

And then it floated up out of his hands without Danny commanding it to. Sam and Danny’s eyes both followed it in awe, completely fascinated. 

“Wow!” Sam whispered, her eyes wide and mouth agape slightly. “You gotta mess around with your powers more often, Danny! That’s like... super awesome!”

Danny grinned, proud of himself. “I can’t believe I did that on purpose!”

Sam shook her head at him and placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “You need to have more confidence in yourself, Danny. You are capable of great things.”

“You really think so?” Danny asked, feeling a little embarrassed by her praise. He appreciated it, of course, but he’d never been very good at receiving compliments. 

“I know so,” Sam rolled her eyes. “And _you_ know so as well. You’re literally the town’s hero, dummy. Don’t go fishing for compliments now.”

Danny ducked his head slightly, his cheeks flushing a little green. “I guess you’re right.”

Sam smiled at him before turning back to the bookshelf. “Go look for any suspicious-looking books so we can get outta here, you dork.”

“You’re the dork.” Danny retorted playfully before he did what she said and started looking at the books. 

The two searched in silence for a while, the ectoplasmic orb floating an equal distance between them. And not even a minute later, Danny was already starting to becoming bored. He didn’t really know what he was looking for. How could a book look ‘suspicious'?

Then he came across a strange statue that was on a pedestal. It was a man in a top hat, but there was something odd about it that had Danny tilting his head to the side in confusion. His gaze traced the man’s face, trying to figure out what was so strange about it. His green eyes stopped on the nose. 

“Ah,” Danny said triumphantly. “It’s crooked.” 

“What’s crooked?” Sam asked, half paying attention. 

“The nose!” Danny said, reaching for it and twisting it back in place. The wall behind the statue shifted slightly and the sound of gears turning echoed through the library. The bookshelf started to turn, taking the statue with it, and Sam gasped behind him as Danny took a few steps back.

“Danny! You found it!” Sam cheered as she grabbed Danny’s arm. The bookshelf stopped turning when it was diagonal to how it had been placed before. Through the now open wall, there was a whole other library. Danny internally wondered why Vlad would need a moving wall if he could just turn intangible, but he supposed Vlad wouldn’t be Vlad if he didn’t have a little extra flare every now and then.

Danny hesitantly made his way inside with Sam following closely behind him. The green ball of ecto-energy floated behind them closely, lighting the way. But it became partially unnecessary once they entered the room because a majority of the books around them faintly glowed green in the dark. Sam quickly made her way past Danny and began scanning the bookshelves for what she needed.

“Uhhh, ‘G’... ‘G’... I need to find the letter ‘G’...” Sam said under her breath, slowly moving down the shelf as she glanced over the alphabetic organization. “God, if there’s one thing I like about your boyfriend, it’s that he’s organized. I could swear that man might even have a little bit of OCD.”

“Still not my boyfriend.” Danny mumbled, his shoulders slumping.

“Ah! Here it is!” Sam said, pulling out one of the books. Danny looked at the cover. It was titled: _‘Guide to Dark Magic & Soulmates.’_ Sam flipped open the book and immediately began thumbing through the pages, her brows furrowed in concentration. The orb floated to hover over her shoulder like it knew she needed the extra light to see.

Suddenly, Danny’s ghost sense went off, and his eyes went a little cross-eyed for a second as he watched the blue mist rise from his mouth. “Shit! Sam, we gotta go!”

“Hold on!” Sam said, turning away from Danny.

_“Sam,”_ Danny growled under his breath, grabbing her arm. “Put the book back. I can feel the ghosts getting closer. They’re like twenty feet away.” He looked out the opening in the bookshelf. Somewhere around the corner, a ghost was waiting for them. And it wasn’t Vlad, or he would’ve felt it. 

“We’ll take the book.” Sam said, glaring at him.

Danny blanched. “I-I’m not gonna steal from Vlad!”

Sam hugged the book to her chest. “Danny, I _need_ this book.”

“Put it back!”

“No!”

They heard voices coming from the other side of the library— they were getting close. Danny panicked. He grabbed Sam and flew out of there as fast as he could. He didn’t stop until they were hidden in the trees like they were before. The green orb had followed them and continued to float off to the side and provide some light for them to see. He set Sam down and glared at her.

“What the hell, Sam?!” Danny yelled, absolutely seething on the inside. “Why didn’t you just put the fucking book back like I said?!”

Guilt was already starting to eat at him. He’d stolen from Vlad. He was supposed to be building trust, and he’d broken it. Tears built in his eyes, but he wiped them away before they could overflow. This was a mistake. He shouldn’t have come here. 

“Because I need this book, Danny!” Sam yelled back, hugging said book to her chest again.

“You _used_ me!” Danny accused, but on the inside, he felt like he was just as guilty. He'd let her use him, and now he was regretting it. “And I let you because you’re my friend. But I didn’t want to fucking steal from Vlad! I didn’t want to do that at all! Give me the book.” He held out his hand, intent on returning it as fast as possible. He didn’t even care about the consequences of going back anymore. 

“What? No way!” Sam said, turning away from him. “After all that trouble, you really wanna just give it back? Don’t you wanna see why I stole it?!”

“I don’t care why you stole it!” Danny growled at her. “Just give it to me! I’m going to return it.”

“I need it!” Sam yelled.

“What the hell could you possibly need it for?!” Danny was practically raging at this point, green sparks crackling across his hands without him even noticing. He hadn’t wanted to take it this far. He was going to have to fess up to Vlad, there was no way he could get away with this without feeling guilty. He didn’t want to be the one that ruined the trust they’d built. 

“I need it to save you!” Sam cried.

Danny opened his mouth to yell again, but he hesitated, his anger now accompanied by confusion. “What are you _talking_ about?”

“Just, look,” Sam said, sitting down on the ground and opening the book. She began flipping through the pages again. The orb floated closer, illuminating them. “I saw a glimpse of it when we were in the library, so my theory was proven true. And like I promised, I’ll now tell you what all of this was for.”

Danny glared at Sam for a long while, both wanting to know what it was and wanting to fly away and just ditch Sam here. He huffed to himself, knowing that he couldn’t just leave her. So he sat down next to her with his legs crossed and his head resting in his hand. He would listen, since everything they’d just done would’ve been pointless if he didn’t. At the very least, he could see what she’d been so desperate for. And then he could return the book and apologize to his soulmate. 

Sam stopped on a chapter titled: _'Swapping, Brainwashing, and Disabling Soulmates.'_

Danny’s brow furrowed. 

“Look at this section,” Sam said, pointing to one of the paragraphs. It was surrounded by strange pencil-drawn pictures of pentagons, diagrams of ghost cores, and blob ghosts. “This is a spell that will unbind you from Vlad. You can get rid of him! And look over here...” She pointed to another paragraph, which had different stuff drawn around it. It was a different spell. “This one is about swapping soulmates, and— and—"

“Sam, I can’t get rid of Vlad. I can’t _unbind_ us.” Danny sighed, dragging his hand down his face as he pointedly looked away from the book. “We already tried to see if that was an option. If we try, it will _literally_ destroy our cores. We’ll cease to exist.”

“This is _dark_ magic, Danny,” Sam explained, pulling the book into her lap and leaning closer to Danny. “It works by different rules than ghost magic does. In fact, this book was made by witches, not ghosts. Their ways are different, and they work better. There was an article online in the GZ about them being successful thousands of years ago when certain ghosts asked to be unbound.”

Danny frowned. Of course, Sam would know about this kind of stuff. “What makes you even think I _want_ to unbind us?”

Sam sighed, brushing some of her hair behind her ear so she could see the book better. “I just want to give you the option. You and Vlad were enemies before, and I know this is hard for you. You shouldn’t have to be stuck to him. The whole concept of soulmates has always been so stupid. It means you can’t choose who you want, it means that there’s only one person out there for you, which isn’t true. Nobody has just _one_ soulmate. And even if they do, they’re lucky. For example, your _parents_. They’re lucky. They’re perfect for each other. And you know? Maybe they dated other people before they dated each other. Maybe they loved someone else before they loved each other.”

Danny’s nose scrunched up, trying not to think too hard about how Vlad had been in love with Maddie in the past. “I don’t wanna think about my parents’ past lovers.”

“That’s not the point, Danny,” Sam huffed. “I’m just trying to tell you that you’re not _stuck_ with him.”

Danny looked away, once again feeling guilty. He was thankful that he could still feel in his mind that Vlad was asleep so he couldn’t broadcast anything to him. He didn’t need to worry the man with his disturbed feelings right now. “I-I’d have to talk to Vlad.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Sam frowned back at him, reaching over to grab his shoulder. Danny lifted his gaze to face her. “This isn’t about Vlad, this is about what _you_ want. Vlad doesn’t get a say in this.”

Danny pulled away from her, his heart clenching painfully. At the start of all this, he would’ve given just about anything to be unbound from Vlad. He’d hated it, he’d wanted to get as far away as physically possible. But now... things were different. They were starting to make it work, and he didn’t want to compromise something that could turn out to be amazing. He and Vlad could be amazing if they really tried. Or at the very least, he hoped he could. And it was too soon to just call it all off just like that, especially since this decision would greatly impact both of them. 

“This isn’t as simple as a relationship, Sam,” Danny said, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’re _soulmates_. If I made this decision, I’d be taking away Vlad’s only chance at a _soulmate_. It’s not a decision to be made lightly. _Or_ alone."

“You’re missing the point—"

“No, I’m not!” Danny cut her off. _“You_ are the only one missing the point. I may not be in love with Vlad, but we are _both_ in this together now, for better or for worse. If Vlad wants to unbind us, and we both decide that the risk is worth it, then we’ll do it. But for now, I’m not making any decisions like this without him.”

“What if he wants to stay with you, but you don’t want it?” Sam asked, narrowing her eyes at him. “What if you’re stuck with him because he wants you? What if you’ll never be able to escape him!”

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT!” Danny yelled, standing from the ground and leaning over Sam. “I don’t know! And your meddling is getting on my fucking nerves! So just _stop!_ Stop it, Sam!”

Sam flinched at his hash words, hurt flashing over her face. And for a moment, guilt squirmed in Danny’s gut uncomfortably. He’d never been so angry at Sam before, and he’d never yelled at her like that. But she was pushing him to his limit. She didn’t understand anything about what he and Vlad had, and she was trying to force the situation in a direction that Danny didn’t feel like venturing. Not until he knew what he wanted.

Separating from Vlad like that was a _huge_ decision to make, one that shouldn’t be made lightly. Obviously, something in nature— or maybe even the universe itself— decided to make them soulmates. Hell, they’d been soulmates since before Danny was born. So that had to mean something, and he wanted to figure that something out before he made any big, life-changing moves. 

“I’m only trying to help.” Sam said, her expression hardening. 

“Well, you’re not helping!” Danny said, and he began to pace, his arms crossing over his chest like he was trying to keep himself together. And maybe he was because this conversation was starting to wear him down faster than the fight with Pariah Dark had. “All you’ve done it make it worse. Maybe the concept of soulmates is unfair, but it is UNDENIABLE that being soulmates _means_ something. Vlad and I have consistently had this revelation since we found out.” 

Sam closed the book and shoved it into her backpack before standing up as well. “But if you don’t want to be with him, then you shouldn’t have to! You can’t even call him your _boyfriend.”_

“I never said that I didn’t want to be with him!” Danny glared at her. “I just don’t know _what_ I want!”

“Exactly! And that’s why I want to give you the option to _choose!”_ Sam gestured at him like he was being stupid for not seeing her reasoning for all of this. “I’m trying to fight for you because you don’t seem to be fighting yourself!”

“What the hell is there to fight for?!” Danny growled. 

“Us!” Sam yelled, grabbing Danny by the front of his suit and yanking him down slightly. Danny had grown quite a few inches taller than her over the years. “I’m fighting for _us!_ I love you, Danny! You _know_ I love you!”

Danny’s breath hitched, his anger immediately replaced with shock. His mind drew a blank. Everyone else had made him aware of Sam’s feelings, but he’d never expected she’d confess them to him like this. 

“I want you to choose _me_ over him! I want you to love me back!” Sam cried, tears forming in her eyes. “I know you’ve seen me as the bad guy these past few weeks, but I just don’t want to lose you!”

“Sam...” Danny’s voice cracked, and he turned away from her. He couldn’t bear to look at her. It was too late for them. It was never gonna _be_ them. The universe had already known that one day he’d be there for Vlad.

“Danny,” Sam said, placing her hands on either side of Danny’s face and forcing him to look at her. “Danny, all those moments we shared, they had to be real, right?”

They had been real. The awkward, blush-y, romantic moments they’d shared in the past had been real. But that’s all they’d been. Scattered moments over the years, so few and far between that they didn’t stick or take. There weren’t enough of them for their relationship to develop further, or for them to grow a deeper connection. They’d sparked, but there was not enough there to catch it and turn into a flame. 

“They...” Danny sighed, his shoulder’s slumping as Sam stared into his green eyes. “They were real, but... but things changed, Sam. They _changed.”_

They missed their chance. And even if they hadn't, he was always gonna be Vlad's soulmate.

Before Danny could react, Sam pushed up on her toes and kissed Danny. He immediately pushed her away and stumbled back several feet, breathing heavily. He felt like his heart had just leaped into his throat, and his core was vibrating uncomfortably in his chest.

“What the heck are you doing?” Danny said breathlessly, searching Sam’s eyes for an answer. 

Sam turned her gaze away, her arms hanging limply at her sides as tears pooled in her violet eyes. “I want you to choose me.”

“I-I can’t,” Danny said, his voice barely a whisper. “Sam, I can’t.”

“You can,” Sam said. “You can if you unbind yourself from Vlad.”

“No,” Danny shook his head. “I-I can’t. I _won’t.”_

“Danny—"

_“No,”_ Danny said again. “I love you, too, Sam, but not like that.” Sam reached up to Danny’s face again and he took a step back. “I have to go.”

“Danny, _please,”_ Sam said, the tears slipping down her pale cheeks. “Please.”

They stared at each other, and the silence between them would have been deafening if not for the constant chip of crickets around them. Danny shook his head again before floating up into the air and flying away as fast as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'mma about to drop some honesty on you guys and if you don't like it just ignore me. I am so freaking glad Biden is winning this election. Like I'm shocked that spray-tanned Cheeto managed to last all four years and it feels so good to finally get him out of office. Biden isn't even the best candidate out there, but literally anyone is better than Trump at this point. VLAD would be a much better president than Trump, and Vlad is an evil Fruit Loop in the show so... that's saying something lol. I feel like even though Vlad is like super corrupt, he'd actually be a pretty good mayor outside of his petty fights with Danny lol.
> 
> If you don't agree, then like... I'm not trying to argue. I respect your opinion. But I'll probably delete any political fights in the comments lol.


	8. Illegally Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny can't handle guilt well so he has to fix it.
> 
> Also, smut. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy, sorry I haven't updated in so long. Things have been pretty stressful in my life recently and I just haven't been able to write much. I only managed to post "Under the Mistletoe" because it was already mostly written. I just had to edit it a little. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for the hiatus, though. I gotta say, I am pretty proud of this chapter lol. Hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Happy holidays everyone!

Danny flew to school in a daze the next morning. The second he’d gotten home the night before, he’d passed out on his bed and tried not to think about anything at all. He’d been partially successful and ended up sleeping for about an hour before he woke up again and couldn’t go back to sleep. So he just laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling, tossing and turning and fuming, unable to go back to sleep. Then his alarm for school went off, and he sighed as he very reluctantly got out of bed to get ready.

Breakfast with the family was quick and cheerful if you didn’t count the fact that Danny hadn’t really said much besides ‘good morning’ and ‘goodbye.’ His parents, as per usual, were oblivious to his tired state. He went outside, hid behind a dumpster, and transformed before flying to school.

But through the haze in his mind, he felt more and more unsettled the closer he got to the school. He didn’t want to see Sam right now. He loved her. Of course, he did. But he didn’t love her like _that,_ and he couldn’t handle being near her at the moment. He was hovering over the school invisibly when he decided that he was _not_ going to be attending today. There was no way he could. Not when his head was a scrambled mess and sleep-deprived. So he sent a quick text to Tucker asking him to cover for him before he started to fly in another direction.

He ended up stopping on the roof of a building and just thinking for a moment. He paced, trying to figure out what to do. He could use all his free time to patrol, he could hide out silently in his room without his parents knowing, or... or he could go to Vlad’s place. He felt guilty about everything that had happened the night before. About breaking into Vlad’s house, stealing from him, and kissing Sam. Ancients, he couldn't believe Sam kissed him. It had happened before, of course. But those were fake-out-make-outs. This time... it had been the real deal, and it unsettled Danny greatly.

If he didn’t tell Vlad everything, it’d eat him alive. His core was already giving him enough crap about it as it was. He’d felt Vlad repeatedly try to reach out to him this morning through the connection, and he’d ignored it. If Vlad already knew something was wrong, then there was no hiding it anyway. He wouldn't be able to keep it from the man for long since they were already so in tune with each other's emotions. He had to tell him everything that happened. So Danny took off towards Vlad’s place. His conscience wouldn't be clear until he confessed.

When he got to Vlad’s house, he phased down through the building and followed the pull of his core in Vlad’s direction. His ghost sense went off when he phased through the wall of Vlad’s office. The older halfa was already looking up from his desk with furrowed brows, clearly having already sensed him coming. He was holding some papers in his hand, and a pair of reading glasses were preached delicately on his nose. His face relaxed slightly when Danny transformed back into a human and sat down bonelessly on the couch that was set up against the wall.

“Hello, Daniel,” Vlad said, looking down at his work as he addressed him. “Don’t you have school?”

Danny sighed. “Tucker knows to cover for me.”

“So... you’re skipping?” Vlad asked, sounding mildly surprised. "You're just... not going to show up, even though there aren't any current ghost attacks?"

Danny nodded numbly. He was so tired. And this couch seemed particularly comfy. Maybe he could just sleep here for a while before he talked to Vlad. It’s not like he slept well last night anyway. His mind felt incredibly foggy, so it wasn't like he'd even be able to pay attention in a classroom, let alone hold a serious conversation with Vlad. Besides, taking a nap first would help him not feel too frayed around the edges. It would give his nerves a chance to settle.

“How long do you plan to stay? I wouldn’t want you to fall behind in your studies.” Vlad said, sounding very much like a nagging parent. “I can feel that you’re distressed and tired... but you shouldn’t let it hurt you academically.”

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated already. He was tired of people telling him what to do and deciding what was best for him without him even getting a word in edgewise. “I don’t need a parent right now, Vlad. I just need you to be..." He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. And honestly, the only thing that came to mind was... "my soulmate, or whatever."

Vlad looked up from his work, his eyes wide for a moment as he let the words sink in. He seemed to think over his previous words before responding. “Alright. I can do that.”

“Can I just sleep here?” Danny asked, looking at Vlad pleadingly. “I promise I won’t interrupt your work, and I don’t snore, so...”

Vlad seemed hesitant for a moment, eyeing Danny carefully. He looked a little lost with the situation, but he was trying nonetheless. “Of course, sleep away. You’ll tell me why you’re here later, yes?”

“Yeah, sure,” Danny mumbled, already laying down and getting comfy on the couch. It was actually a very nice couch, all soft and cushy... perfect for sleeping on. He couldn't help but yawn as he laid his head down. “Night, Vlad.”

Vlad chuckled lightly. “It’s actually seven in the morning, but goodnight, I suppose.”

* * *

“Daniel?”

Danny hummed, not fully awake or aware of everything that was happening. All he knew was that he was tired and he just wanted to go back to sleep. Whoever was trying to wake him was cruel for doing so. He felt a warm hand run through his hair, and he sighed, enjoying the nice feeling.

“Daniel, wake up.” The person continued to pester him. “It’s already noon. Time for lunch.”

“Fruit Loop...?” Danny said, recognizing the voice. His eyes blearily opened, and he rose a hand to shield himself from the light.

“Yes, Little Badger,” Vlad said, and Danny’s eyes focused on the man’s amused face. “It’s time for you to get up.”

Danny groaned and rolled over so that he was facing away from Vlad. “Leave me alone, 'm tired.”

“I can’t let you sleep the entire day.” Vlad sighed, but his voice was weirdly soft. Like he felt fond of the current situation. The couch sank slightly as Vlad sat on the edge of it. “Besides, I brought you a Nasty Burger.”

Danny rolled over again, looking at Vlad with awe. Now that he was thinking about it, he could actually smell that the fast-food was somewhere close by. “Y-you brought me food?"

“Of course. I can't just leave you to hunger all day,” Vlad said, holding up a brown paper bag with the Nasty Burger logo on the front. It had grease stains on the bottom, and Vlad seemed to cringe at it for a moment before he looked at Danny again and smiled. “I had one of my employees pick this up for you from that atrocious fast food restaurant you teenagers seem to flock around in your free time. I had some broccoli cheese soup myself, but I figured you’d appreciate this more.”

Danny sat up, rubbing at his eyes with his hands as he tried to dispel any remaining tiredness. “What time did you say it was?”

“It’s 11:30, nearly noon.” Vlad answered, offering the paper bag to Danny.

Danny took the bag and opened it up. Immediately, he was hit with the smell of greasy fast-food and his stomach rumbled hungrily. Oh, he was so happy Vlad brought him food. And from his favorite restaurant as well. “Thanks, Vlad.”

“It was no trouble,” Vlad said, ruffling Danny’s hair again before standing up and making his way back to his desk. “I’m afraid I have more emails to respond to, so I’ll wait until you’re finished eating before we talk.”

“Okay.” Danny said, eagerly taking a bite of the Nasty Burger. It was what he ordered every time he went, and it was a little odd that Vlad knew exactly what his order was, but he wasn’t going to question it. A lot of the weird stuff Vlad knew about him was most likely because of how much spying he used to do. But he didn’t do that anymore. Hopefully. So he'd let it slide.

The burger was hot and juicy and _delicious,_ and he practically devoured it within ten minutes before he moved on to the fries and the drink. Vlad somehow also knew that his preferred soft drink, and he even went as far as to get it without ice. The ice would always melt into his drink and dull the flavor, so he hated it when it was in his drink. And besides, he was always able to keep the liquid cold by using his ice powers. All he had to do was hold the cup in his hand and channel a little bit of his core power, and voila. Ice cubed were no longer needed. It was yet another thing he decidedly didn’t bring up to Vlad.

He could only finish half of the fries before he was full, and he put all his trash back in the back before laying down on the couch again to let his stomach settle. That had really hit the spot, and a small smile made its way onto his face. Vlad was sweeter than he’d ever known he could be. He’d always known that Vlad was kind of a romantic. He’d listened to enough ramblings about his mom to know that Vlad was a sucker for romance and love, but it was kind of shocking and pleasant to have it directed at him.

Danny felt a buzzing in his pocket and he pulled out his phone to look at it.

**_-_ **

**_Techno Geek: sorry I didn’t respond until now. Mr. Lancer took my phone & PDA up and I couldn’t text you. Sam and I have the ghosts handled for today so don’t worry about it. I hope you’re alright._ **

**_-_ **

Danny sighed and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He was glad that Tucker wasn’t interrogating him on what was going on right now. That was the last thing he wanted to talk about. And if he was going to talk about it with anyone, it was going to be Vlad. He had to do that today at some point.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Vlad asked. Danny looked over the arm of the couch to see that Vlad had his reading glasses back on and he was focused on something on his computer with his fingers resting on the keyboard, ready to type at any moment.

“Y-yeah, of course.” Danny smiled appreciatively. “You didn’t have to go through all that trouble, but thank you.”

Vlad turned to smile back at him. “It was no trouble at all, Daniel. I promise."

Danny sat up, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch and peering at Vlad curiously. “So... what’re you working on?”

“Nothing you’d be interested in, Daniel.” Vlad sighed. But he decided to answer him anyway. “Just working on merging a smaller company with my own. I have a meeting with the owner tomorrow. But I’d rather not bore you with the details. It actually bores _me_ quite a lot, so trust me when I say I’m sparing you. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here today instead of in school?”

Danny’s smile slowly fell. It was now or never. Might as well get it over with. Just rip the band-aid off. He cleared his throat. He could feel his nerves already starting to give out on him so he had to just go for it. Straight to the point. “I broke into your house last night. I'm sorry. That's why I'm here."

Vlad turned to him, eyes narrowing. “That was _you?_ I stayed up investigating that incident all night last night, but all my guards could tell me was that they saw a green orb disappear through the ceiling!”

“I’m sorry,” Danny said again in a quiet voice, averting his gaze to the floor. Now he felt worse. Of course, Vlad would know something happened already. And he’d lost sleep trying to investigate it. If they wanted anything to work between each other, they had to be honest. No secrets. So he had to tell Vlad everything, even if there were consequences. He hoped that coming clean and apologizing would help get Vlad to forgive him. “I came here to apologize.”

“Why on _Earth_ would you—"

“And Sam kissed me.” Danny blurted. That confession kind of just came out without his permission. Vlad just stared at him, his mouth gaping opened and closed for a moment as red colored his cheeks. “Sorry for cutting you off. I-I just needed to tell you that before I... c-chickened out.”

“Daniel—" Vlad huffed, taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He seemed to battle with himself for a moment, taking a deep breath before slowly releasing it. The color didn’t leave his face, though. Danny watched him with wide, worried eyes. “You better start explaining yourself right now.” His voice lowered slightly, and it was clear he was starting to fume under his skin a little. Danny even felt the temperature in the room rise a fraction.

Goosebumps rose along Danny's skin as his anxiety climbed a little higher. He fidgeted on the couch, wringing his hands together. This wasn't good.

“Sam, uh..." Danny’s voice came out a little weak and shaky. "S-she called me yesterday and told me to meet her over by your house.” He started to explain. He sat up and crossed his arms, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with the situation. “I tried to say no, but... she told me she was going to break in whether I came or not, and I didn’t want her to get hurt, so... I came with her.”

“So it wasn’t just _you,_ it was _Samantha.”_ Vlad said, the anger clear in his voice as he rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. Danny winced when he felt a little irritation spark between their connection. Vlad had clearly been trying not to let his anger show in the connection, but slowly it was starting to filter through the cracks, like there was so much of it that it was beginning to overflow. This wasn’t going well, and Danny was seriously starting to consider bailing to let Vlad cool off. Phasing through the ceiling and running away was becoming more and more tempting by the second.

“S-She... she said...” Danny paused, nerves suddenly getting to him. Vlad’s emotions were making it hard to get the words out, so he forced a mental wall between them. Vlad sucked in a quiet, startled breath at suddenly being blocked out of Danny’s head. Sometimes it was a little jarring to be cut off like that since they were both starting to get so used to each other’s presence. “She told me that her safety was in my hands, and-and I felt like I didn’t have a choice. I was scared of her getting hurt, or in trouble. I tried to convince her not to once I got here, but she wouldn’t let up... so we ended up breaking in.”

Vlad was now leaning back in his office chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Danny patiently. Distantly, Danny thought he looked like a pouty child that had been denied candy. Which would have been funny, if not for the fact that Danny had _felt_ just how upset Vlad was. It was incredibly unsettling, and Danny was starting to feel worse. He'd thought confessing would lift a weight off his shoulders, but it was only adding more pressure.

Danny breathed deeply for a moment to calm his nerves. “We broke into the—"

“Library.” Vlad cut him off sharply, his glare turning cold and accusatory. “And you stole a book. Specifically one about _soulmates_. Is there something that you wish to tell me, Daniel? Something _other_ than the fact you broke in? Maybe something to do with the fact that, _I don’t know,_ you kissed _Samantha?”_

“I didn’t kiss her, _she_ kissed _me,”_ Danny clarified with a wince. He didn’t have to let Vlad back in his head to know that the man was only getting angrier by the second. “I pushed her away, Vlad. It didn’t even last a full second.”

“Then _why_ steal that book?!” Vlad asked, his voice rising slightly. “It has extensive knowledge on soulmates. It has stuff about _unbinding._ Do you want to _unbind_ yourself from me, Daniel? Cut the ties between us that make us soulmates? Is that what this is about—"

“No!” Danny cut him off angrily, slamming his fist down onto the cushion beside him. It only made him feel more irritated that it lacked any notable sound besides a quiet _‘thwap!’_ “I know this whole thing puts me in a compromising position, but you’re not listening to me! I didn’t _want_ to steal from you! I didn’t even know that I _was_ going to steal from you until it was too late! And when Sam tried to tell me that she could unbind me from you, I shot her down immediately! I’d _never_ do something like that, not unless _you_ wanted to!”

“Well, it’s impossible anyway.” Vlad scoffed, his eye twitching slightly.

“Sam said that it actually _is_ possible.” Danny sighed, sinking back into the couch in defeat. He put a serious mental effort into calming himself down. He knew Vlad had some valid reasons for being upset, and even if he was irritated that the man wasn’t really listening to his reasonings, he knew it was most likely just the influence of their past. They didn’t know how to trust each other yet, and he supposed that fed them both doubts and insecurities. This was going to be hard to work through. “Apparently, the spells in that book were made by witches, not ghosts. So the spells work differently and are apparently better. And, just to _remind_ you, I said _no._ I didn’t want her to unbind us.”

Vlad’s frown remained on his face for several minutes as he glared at Danny, mentally prodding at the boy’s mind for entrance. It seemed almost absentminded, like Vlad’s mind wasn’t used to being disconnected from Danny’s and it was desperately trying to get it back. But Danny kept up the wall, unwilling to let it down. He didn’t want to let the man back in yet.

Vlad had felt so angry, and it _hurt_. It made him feel nervous and even more guilty than he already felt. So until Vlad calmed down, there was no way in hell he was going to lower the walls. He didn’t think he could, even if he wanted to. It was like a defensive reflex and he couldn’t turn it off right now.

Danny squirmed under Vlad’s gaze, keeping his eyes focused on the wall across from him. This was almost more uncomfortable than it was when he and Vlad went through their first cycle. At least it actually felt good at some points. Right now, everything just felt terrible.

Vlad suddenly sighed, and the prodding against Danny’s walls ceased. “You pushed her away.” He said quietly, his tone clearly seeking some extra assurance.

“Yes,” Danny said, voice clear and calm. “I know we’re not together, or whatever... but you’re still my soulmate, and I wouldn’t betray you like that. Our situation is delicate enough as it is. We don’t need more...” He hesitated on his next words. “... c-confusing _feelings_ drama. I won’t ruin what we have if I can help it.”

“And yet, you still broke into my house.” Vlad deadpanned.

“I didn’t want Sam to get hurt or in trouble.” Danny looked down at his lap, rubbing his sweaty hands up and down his legs anxiously. His jeans weren’t helping to dry them very well at all.

Vlad stood from his desk chair, and Danny flinched, turning his head in the opposite direction. He listened to Vlad’s footsteps as he got closer to him, and he tensed when the man sat down next to him. He felt the prodding at his mind again, and he forced the walls to be stronger, blocking Vlad out with every ounce of his mental strength.

“Let me in, Daniel.” Vlad demanded.

“No.” Danny said.

“Why not?”

“Because your anger is _freaking me out.”_ Danny spat out, finally turning back to glare at Vlad. At the angry look on Vlad’s face, however, Danny paled and his heart lurched with anxiety. Vlad looked like he did when he was done with Danny’s bullshit and was getting ready to attack him. “I should leave.”

He stood up, but Vlad grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down onto the couch forcefully. _“No,_ you’re staying right here.” He growled.

Danny’s eyes blazed green, and he looked at Vlad, warning him with his gaze to back off _right now._ His hands clenched into fists, and he was ready to defend himself at a moment’s notice. Danny felt like he was in danger, like Vlad was going to hurt him in this moment. He could feel his fight or flight instincts brimming just under the surface. Things never ended well when Vlad looked at him like that.

Vlad’s face contorted in confusion for a moment. Since he was blocked out of Danny’s head, he couldn’t exactly tell why Danny was flashing his eyes at him. He couldn’t feel what Danny was feeling, and so he was lost. And then it hit him. The way Danny’s jaw was clenched, the way his eyes didn’t stray from him for a second, the way his hands closed into tight fists.

“You’re scared of me right now.” Vlad said, releasing Danny like he’d been burned and leaning away. “Daniel, do you think I’m going to _hit_ you?”

Danny’s eyes slowly faded back to their natural blue, expression now confused as well. “W-what?”

Vlad leaned away from him more, feeling hurt. How could Daniel think such a thing? He was angry, yes, but he wouldn't dream of attacking the boy these days. “Is that why you’re blocking me out? Because you’re scared I’m going to _attack_ you?”

Danny just gaped at him for a moment before narrowing his eyes. “What did you expect me to think?! You were... you’re looking at me the same way you do when you’re about to attack me in battle! And I felt your anger for a moment, Vlad! You’re _pissed,_ so of course, I’m scared!”

“Well, of course, I’m angry! You broke into my house!” Vlad growled. “But I’m not going to attack you! Ancients, Daniel, I’m not heartless!”

Danny huffed and crossed his arms, turning away from the man once again. “I said I was sorry. It’s not like I’m keeping secrets from you. And breaking into your house wasn’t my plan anyway!”

“But you still did it!" Vlad frowned deeply at him. “You phased through the walls of my home while I was asleep and _stole_ my property. I want my book returned!"

“Done! I’ll get it back from Sam as soon as possible.” Danny said automatically. He’d already planned on returning it.

“Oh! So you let Samantha _keep_ it.” Vlad said in exasperation.

“Well, _sorry!”_ Danny said, throwing his hands up in frustration and glaring at Vlad. “But I was kinda busy trying to run away from her, since she was, you know, _trying to kiss me!”_

Vlad growled as he grabbed the front of Danny’s shirt and pulled him forward, slamming their mouths together in a possessive kiss. Danny squeaked in surprise, completely thrown off guard by the sudden kiss. It almost felt out of place-- it was an entirely different atmosphere than it was just seconds ago. But as Vlad started to work his mouth open with his own, Danny’s eyes rolled back and he moaned, pressing back.

It was different, kissing Vlad when he wasn’t already horny out of his mind. It still felt good— it felt _amazing,_ in fact. But it was different. His mind felt clearer. He was more in control of what was happening and how he was feeling. And this was different from the rooftop as well. That kiss had been light and soft, but this one was passionate and heated. It made something stir low in his belly. For a second, that feeling frightened him. But he didn’t want to stop.

Vlad’s tongue made its way into Danny’s mouth, and he gasped, surprised that this was actually happening right now. Vlad licked over his teeth and pressed against his tongue, coaxing him into pushing back. Danny growled into the kiss and grabbed Vlad around his shoulders, pulling him closer. He tried to do what Vlad did, trying to push his insecurities into the back of his mind as he chased Vlad’s tongue back into the man’s own mouth.

And then suddenly, he felt a sharp sting on his tongue and he flinched back. “Ow!” He said, bringing a hand up to his mouth. When he pulled it back, he found blood. Déjà vu washed over him and he frowned. This wasn't the first time Vlad had done this. “You nicked me again! You’re not even in ghost form!”

Vlad grinned at him, much like he had done last time this happened. Danny’s eyes widened when he noticed that Vlad’s fangs had somehow grown. Danny’s eyes widened. “How did you do that?!”

“It’s very similar to how you flash your eyes in human form. I’d imagine you’d be able to do it, too, if you had fangs.” Vlad said. Before Danny could even open his mouth to respond, Vlad pushed Danny back into the couch and crawled over him. Danny squeaked in embarrassment, his face flaming red at the new position.

Vlad began to kiss at Danny’s jaw, swiping his tongue over the pale flesh and nipping lightly in certain places that seemed extra sensitive. Danny wiggled under Vlad, not sure if he wanted to run away or get closer. He grabbed at Vlad’s shoulders, panting heavily as Vlad continued to pepper kisses over every inch of skin that he could reach. He suddenly grabbed Danny’s shirt in a tight fist, phasing it off and throwing it somewhere on the floor.

“Vlad!” Danny jumped, shocked by the suddenness of the action. He laughed, unable to help himself. He was so embarrassed. His blush spread halfway down his chest, and he scraped his fingers down Vlad’s back, not knowing what else to do with his hands. He wasn’t driven by instincts and an overabundance of hormones any more.

Sure, as a teenager, he was always filled with hormones. But when they had their cycle... it was on a whole other level.

Vlad suddenly sunk his teeth into Danny’s shoulder, and the teen gasped, arching his back as his vision whited out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Why did that have to feel so good? _Why?_ Did he really have a thing for biting? Especially since Vlad had _fangs?_ It wasn't fair! After a moment, Vlad let go. He ran his tongue over the puncture wounds, lapping up the blood. Danny just laid there in a daze, staring up at the ceiling.

_“Mine.”_ Vlad growled possessively.

Danny giggled and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the couch. “Y-you really are... a vampire.” He teased breathlessly. Too bad that mark will only last about half an hour. But maybe... that was actually a good thing. How the hell would he be able to explain _that_ to his parents?

Vlad placed his hand on the side of Danny’s face, and the teen’s eyes fluttered open. They looked at each other for what felt like hours but was only a handful of seconds before Vlad breathed out heavily and maneuvered Danny around so that he could lay beside him. Vlad let Danny lay on top of his arm and he pulled the boy closer so Danny could rest his head on his chest.

Danny curled up to him, his hand grasping at the fabric of Vlad’s exorbitant button-up shirt. The fabric was soft and smooth like silk, but it looked more firm than it felt.

“Let me in, Daniel.” Vlad requested, softly this time.

Danny sighed, letting his hand relax as he closed his eyes and focused on letting down his mental wall. He immediately felt Vlad’s mind brush against his, taking in all his insecurity, embarrassment, and guilt. Danny could feel Vlad’s worry and confused jealousy, and maybe even a bit of possessiveness. Yeah, he definitely didn’t like the fact that Sam had kissed him, and he didn’t need to feel all of the man’s emotions in order to deduce that. As Vlad took in Danny’s emotions, guilt was slowly added to the list for him as well.

Vlad sighed, rubbing his hand up and down Danny’s arm as a way to comfort him. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Danny.”

Danny pressed his face into Vlad’s chest, thinking it was a little strange that Vlad had called him by his preferred name. He’d done it before, but it was always so rare and usually used mockingly. More recently, though, he used it seriously like everyone else. Even if he still preferred to call him by his full name. “It’s alright...”

“It’s not,” Vlad said. “I don’t want to scare you like that.”

“I know, you’ve told me.” Danny mumbled.

“And yet, you still feared that I was going to hurt you.” Vlad said.

Danny shrugged. “It’s... kind of easy to imagine you as the kind of person that would get violent when you’re angry. I mean, I’ve been on the bad end of many of your tantrums before, so you can’t blame me if I assume there might be a little violence.”

“My days of beating you in combat have ended, Daniel.” Vlad insisted with another sigh. “And I know I seem to have a violent temper, but I don’t cause harm based on emotions. I’m strategic. I fight based on a plan, rather than my emotions, unlike you.” Danny scowled a little at that. “If I simply ran off of emotion when fighting and lashed out every time I was angry, I most likely would be in jail. You have no idea how badly some of the _imbeciles_ in my meetings _irk_ me.”

Danny snorted. “Actually, I do. You get super pissed at least twice a day. I assume that’s when you’re in a meeting?”

Vlad huffed. “That’s... that’s most likely the case, so yes.”

Danny hummed in response, taking in a deep breath of air before letting it slowly out through his nose. Vlad was warm. Warmer than other people were. He mostly only thought that because he was always sort of cold. His ice core made sure of that. Tucker and Sam always complained about that when they hugged him since he felt so cold to them. But Vlad never complained.

“You seem tired today.” Vlad commented, leaving the question hanging in the air. He’d stated it as an observation, just in case Danny didn’t want to answer.

“I didn’t really sleep well last night.” Danny explained vaguely.

“I assume that has something to do with Samantha?” Vlad asked.

Danny felt around inside Vlad’s head for his emotions. He was calmer than he had been earlier, and a lot less jealous, so he decided to explain. “Yeah, I mean... she basically confessed her love to me and asked me to _unbind_ myself from you. Of course, that made it a little hard to sleep. And then there was also the whole thing about me feeling guilty about betraying you...”

Vlad looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t think you betrayed me. I mean, you _did_ break into my house. But you were only trying to protect your friend. And you told me, instead of keeping it a secret. I was just... blinded by anger for a moment. I wasn't hearing you for a short while... I'm sorry."

Danny looked up at Vlad, suddenly worried. “Crap, what are you going to do about Sam?”

Vlad narrowed his eyes for a moment before responding. “Nothing. I would just appreciate it if she returned my book.”

Danny let out a breath of relief. “Oh, good... I thought you were gonna like, press charges against her, or something.”

“I figured you wouldn’t be too happy if I did such a thing to one of your friends,” Vlad said with a shrug. “I could bring Samantha and her family to poverty if it felt like it.”

Danny shivered, despite being so warm pressed up against Vlad like this. “Yeah, please don’t ruin her life over this...”

They laid there in comfortable silence for a while after that, just enjoying the intimacy of the moment. All the other times they’d gotten sexual, there really hadn’t been a moment of cuddle time afterward. It was either Danny fleeing before it was over, or both of them fleeing once it was done. Maybe that could change today.

Danny felt his heart spike with anxiety at that thought. Did he really want to try something with Vlad right now? The man said he wouldn’t shy away from it if Danny wanted to do it at any point. And they were going to have to do this every once in a while anyway once their cycle started up again, so... why not practice in between?

Danny angled himself to look up at Vlad, whose eyes were closed. The man looked relaxed, far more relaxed than Danny was used to seeing him. “Hey, Vlad?”

“What is it, Daniel?” Vlad asked, furrowing his brows. He didn’t seem irritated, exactly, but he didn’t seem happy with the interruption nonetheless.

“What if we...” Danny paused, anxiety rising within him. He wasn’t good at this kind of stuff. He’d only flirted when he was in the cycle, and thinking back on those moments made him feel incredibly embarrassed. The way he’d acted, especially the first time, was way more confident than he pictured himself ever being. And Vlad had _seen_ him like that.

“Why are you so anxious right now?” Vlad asked, opening his eyes and looking down at Danny with worry.

Danny groaned and buried his face in Vlad’s chest. “I’m trying to ask if you wanna go a little further than kissing...”

“Ah,” Vlad's eyes lit up a little and he chuckled in surprised amusement. “Only if you truly wish to.”

“I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t want to...” Danny mumbled.

“Alright,” Vlad said, carefully pulling his arm out from under Danny and making the boy lay on his back so Vlad could crawl on top of him. “You’re sure?” He asked, looking at Danny seriously. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Just shut up and kiss me.” He said, before grabbing the collar of the man's stupidly expensive shirt and pulling him down into a kiss.

Their teeth briefly clicked together, causing some discomfort, but it was quickly drowned out by the pleasure of kissing each other, and the thrill of the silent tune their cores sang together at the contact. Danny licked at Vlad’s lips, and the man opened his mouth, allowing him entrance. Danny’s tongue explored every crevasse of Vlad’s mouth that he could reach, tasting him almost desperately. Like this was the first breath of fresh air he’d had in weeks. He tasted like mint. He knew the man had soup earlier, but he must have either brushed his teeth or had some gum afterward.

Vlad’s hands ran up and down Danny’s bare chest, making the boy shiver. His hands were so warm compared to everything else. He wanted more, so he grabbed Vlad’s shirt in one tight fist and phased it off in an instant. Vlad took the change in stride and hummed into the kiss, bitting at Danny’s lip lightly. The teen couldn’t help the way he whined at the feeling, his pants beginning to feel tight. He was beginning to learn that he really did have a thing for Vlad’s fangs and biting. There was literally no doubt in his mind now.

Because of _course,_ he would. Of all things he had to be into, it had to be that. This man was quickly becoming his greatest weakness and it was driving him crazy. And he was never, ever going to tell the man.

He reached up, tracing out Vlad’s very subtle abs with his fingers. He’d felt Vlad up like this before, but he hadn’t noticed that little detail until now. They weren’t super visible, but he could certainly feel them. The firm muscle, the power Vlad held in his very body. Danny was only strong because of his powers, but Vlad? The man didn’t _need_ his powers to be strong— to be _powerful._

He did remember how broad Vlad’s chest was, especially when he was in ghost form. He ran his fingers through the coarse silver hairs, mapping out the expanse of his entire chest, and over his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him down, pressing their chests flush together and wrapping his legs around Vlad’s hips.

Vlad groaned and pulled back from the kiss, running his hands delicately up and down Danny’s sides so that the boy squirmed beneath him. “You’re quite eager today, Little Badger.”

Danny blushed, thoroughly embarrassed. “I’m a horny teenager, what’s _your_ excuse?” He quickly shot back.

Vlad chuckled and reached up to touch Danny’s face, running his thumb gently around the curve of his cheek. Such a soft gesture made him feel even more embarrassed. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. What other reason could I possibly have?”

Danny’s blush somehow managed to get brighter. “You do that a lot.”

“Do what?” Vlad asked, genuinely perplexed.

“Calling me stuff like... ah...” Danny mumbled, averting his eyes.

“Gorgeous? Beautiful? Stunning?” Vlad supplied for him. When Danny didn’t respond, he continued speaking. “Don’t tell me you dislike the words because they’re too feminine—"

“No!” Danny cut him off, raising his hands to hide his face. “T-th-they’re nice! Nice words! I just, uh... nobody’s ever called me any of those... not in my human form, at least...”

Vlad made a growling sound that came from the back of his throat. “Then everyone else in this world is an insufferably blind moron.” He pulled Danny’s hands away from his face and kissed along the boy’s jawline. “Because you are the most gorgeous young man I’ve ever laid eyes on. In human form, just as much as your ghost form.”

“Oh my god,” Danny said, completely flustered as Vlad began to kiss down his neck, sucking and nipping with his once again elongated canines. He squirmed, letting out small whimpers and whines as the man got lower and lower. He kissed down the center of Danny’s sternum, causing his breath to catch in his throat. He reflectively placed his hands on Vlad’s head, not sure whether to push him away or not.

He tried not to jump when Vlad’s lips reached his stomach, but he couldn’t help the way he quivered at the feeling. Then he started to unbutton Danny’s pants, dragging the zipper down as he kissed just below his bellybutton. The sensation was foreign and strange, and he liked it, but it also made him want to squirm away in embarrassment.

Vlad pulled Danny’s pants all the way down to his knees before he got frustrated and phased them off like everything else. And then his sight was locked on the prominent bulge that was already tenting his boxers. Vlad leaned down and kissed the tip through the fabric, and Danny gasped, jerking back slightly in surprise.

Was Vlad gonna...? No. No way. He couldn’t let the man do that. God, why would he even do that? It’s not like Danny was asking for it. He was okay without it. He wouldn’t— _couldn’t_ — make Vlad do something like that. It was too embarrassing.

Vlad chuckled to himself as he quickly phased the boxers off and Danny’s cock suddenly stood proudly before them. The teen whimpered again and went to cover himself, but Vlad batted his hands away before grabbing it and leaning forward to swallow it.

Danny gasped and jerked back again, phasing himself out of the man’s hold and effectively making Vlad pause and look up at him in frustration. “Y-y-you don’t have to do that!” He said, his hands fluttering nervously around his privates and Vlad’s face, not sure how he was supposed to keep the man away. He sat up slightly, trying to back away. “I-I’ll be okay if you don’t, y’know, since you probably don’t want my dick in your mouth because—"

Vlad reached up and shoved Danny in the chest, forcing him to lay back down against the couch. “Butter biscuits, Daniel, would you relax? Let me pleasure you.”

“But—"

“Daniel, the last time we did this you have no idea how much restraint it took not to lick our come off my fingers and your chest.” Vlad cut him off, his eyes blazing red as he looked up at Danny. He splayed his fingers up Danny’s chest and leaned forward, slowly licking a stripe from his stomach to his collarbone. Danny stared at him with wide eyes, his chest heaving. God, why did that have to turn him on so much? Vlad was just torturing him at this point. “Just let yourself feel good. You can do that with me.”

Danny hesitated briefly before he nodded slowly, still not fully certain about this. It was embarrassing and weird, and even though he was perfectly happy to do that kind of stuff for Vlad, he would never make anyone else do it to him. He knew it would feel good, but he didn’t want Vlad to be uncomfortable and he didn’t want to disgust him.

Vlad grinned and moved back down his body before wrapping his fingers around Danny’s cock and licking up the side of it. Danny’s breath hitched. He was barely holding himself back from shoving Vlad away, but he forced himself to repeat Vlad’s words in his head. The man _wanted_ to make him feel good, the same way he wanted to make Vlad feel good. He had to remember this. Their feelings, their _desires,_ were mutual. He could even feel it through the connection.

Vlad’s eyes focused on Danny’s expression as he wrapped his lips around the tip and slowly sunk down, hollowing out his cheeks as he sucked. Danny moaned, his eyes rolling back for a moment as he grabbed Vlad’s hair, running his fingers desperately through the silver strands that he could reach while he had that stupid hair tie in.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. Vlad’s mouth was so warm, and it felt so good. He was licking him all over. It was better than anything else he’d ever felt, and he was surprised he hadn’t come immediately just from this. He could feel Vlad’s tongue moving along the bottom of his shaft, and the very light drag of his teeth on the top— it was clear that Vlad was doing that part on purpose, but his intention wasn’t to make it hurt. But somehow being on the precipice of a painful bite made him _throb._

Vlad bobbed his head at a torturously slow pace, swirling his tongue around the tip every time before lowering himself down once again. The pleasure was almost overwhelming, making his head spin and his breathing shallow. And Vlad’s mouth was so warm it almost burned, but it was so good.

Unintentionally, Danny bucked his hips. And surprisingly, Vlad didn’t even react. His hands were on Danny’s hips, but he didn’t tighten his grip, he didn’t push back like he was telling him to stay still. So experimentally, Danny rolled his hips up and got no reaction once again. Vlad was still looking up at his flushed face, his eyes half-lidded, and Danny groaned, bucking once again. He slowly built up a rhythm, rolling his hips up in time with each time Vlad lowered his head.

He couldn’t stop the small moans that came from his parted lips, and Vlad groaned around him, sending vibrations up and down his shaft. His fingers tightened in Vlad’s hair, and he ran his fingers through it, pulling out the hair tie and tossing it to the side. He ran his fingers through the soft strands, mesmerized by the sight of Vlad with his hair down. He barely ever saw him like this, and even when he did, it was so brief that the image would hardly stick.

Danny felt a tightness in his lower abdomen, and he knew that he was close. “V-Vlad,” He stammered, pulling the man’s hair. Vlad groaned. “Vlad, Vlad, Vlad, I’m gonna— I’m gonna come. Oh god, I’m gonna come. S-stop. You don't have to--"

Vlad moved a little faster and sucked a little harder, making Danny’s head fall back against the cushions. He found himself unable to speak anymore. He groaned, the pleasure becoming more and more intense, until finally, he reached his climax and came with a cry. The pleasure rolled through him in waves, making his entire body tense up, and stars sparked behind his eyelids. The older half-ghost drank down every drop, working his mouth around him until Danny started to become soft and oversensitive.

Danny winced when he pulled off of him. The man licked his lips, looking up at Danny with lidded eyes. The teen let out a long breath. “That... that was amazing. That was amazing, Vlad. It was so good. God, you’re amazing at that. But I can't believe you... you swallowed it."

“You tasted delicious.” Vlad said, seeming quite satisfied with himself.

Danny flushed red again in embarrassment. To distract himself from it, he sat up and gently pushed Vlad back. The man stared down at him as Danny dragged his hands over Vlad’s chest once again. Danny looked up at him, holding his gaze for a moment before he pressed his lips to Vlad’s. Vlad wrapped his arms around him and pulled Danny into his lap. This kiss deepened, and when Vlad’s tongue made its way into Danny’s mouth, he could taste something salty. He was a little grossed out, but Vlad had once kissed him after Danny’s had sucked him off, so he pushed the thought out of his mind.

Danny pulled back, both of them breathing heavily. “What do you want?”

“Do as I did for you,” Vlad said. “If you’re comfortable with that.”

Danny kissed him again, slowly pushing Vlad back so that he was laying down. He fumbled with Vlad’s slacks for a while, struggling to get them off while he was kissing him. Vlad chuckled into the kiss for a moment before reaching down to phase it off. Danny tried not to feel embarrassed about it. His nerves and inexperience were glaringly obvious.

He grabbed Vlad’s dick, which was fully hard. Danny’s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, he hadn’t expected that. The man groaned into the kiss as Danny stroked it slowly, and Danny pulled back, crawling down so that he was face-to-face with his dick. He wrapped his lips around the head and sunk down slowly, taking it in, inch by inch. Vlad grabbed his hair, pulling him down further, and Danny let him. He forcefully made his throat relax as he took in Vlad’s full length.

“Ancients, Daniel, you look beautiful like this.” Vlad groaned. “It should be illegal for you to look this good.”

Danny pulled off, coughing slightly since he wasn’t quite used to the strain doing this took on his throat. He grinned up at Vlad in amusement. “It kind of is.”

Vlad paused for a moment in thought. “I... suppose you’re right.”

Danny snorted. “Don’t worry, you get a soulmate pass.”

Vlad internally winced but decided not to think about it. Honestly, after experiencing their _cycle,_ it was inevitable for them to cross the line like this. They hadn’t had a choice, unless they wanted to be in pain until Danny became of age, and that was still a while away. Maybe it was worse for them to do this kind of stuff outside of their cycle, but at this point, neither of them cared. Why not do it now if they’d already done it before?

Danny opened his mouth, taking Vlad in again. It hurt his throat, but when Vlad moaned, Danny knew that it was worth it. He’d do this a million times over just to hear those sounds.

Vlad began to buck his hips, and Danny decided to let him this time, even as his throat gagged around the foreign intrusion. It had been a lot easier back when his mind was clouded with mindless arousal. It was kind of clouded right now, but not as mind-numbingly as it was before.

Vlad suddenly grabbed Danny’s shoulders and pulled him off. Danny was confused for a moment, but the realization hit him when he saw Vlad’s own hand move down to his dick and stroke it a few times before he came with a low groan. His come spurted all over Danny’s chest and stomach, and when he was done, he pushed Danny down and crawled on top of him again. He licked up the mess eagerly, making Danny blush in embarrassment.

Vlad pulled back, swiping his finger across the side of his lip to put it in his mouth.

Danny’s breath hitched slightly.

Vlad shifted, laying back down on the couch and Danny scooted over to accommodate him. He put his arm under Danny’s shoulders, and Danny curled up to his side. Vlad reached over to the blanket that was draped over the side of the couch and pulled it over the both of them so they weren’t just exposed to the open air.

“I hope that’s what you meant when you said a little more than kissing.” Vlad said, only half-joking. Despite Danny asking for it and giving his consent, Vlad was still worried he might scare the boy off or make him uncomfortable. It was hard to shake the memory of Danny running away from him before.

Danny snorted and rolled his eyes a little lazily. “It was exactly what I meant.”

“I honestly never expected you’d want to do anything like this so soon.” Vlad said, feeling relieved that Danny seemed alright. He was even calm through the connection, so he could be certain Danny wasn’t lying about being okay.

“Me neither,” Danny shrugged. “But it was pretty great.”

Vlad smiled, running his hand up and down Danny’s arm. “I’m glad.”

It wasn’t long before the two of them both drifted off into a peaceful nap.

* * *

An hour after Danny and Vlad had fallen asleep on the couch, Danny got a call from Tucker about some ghosts that were stirring up trouble around town. He had to leave pretty quickly after that. Vlad offered to come with, but Danny told him it wouldn’t be such a great idea if Sam was going to be there as well. Besides, Vlad had work to do.

Ember was back again and had hypnotized some of the A-Listers into becoming her miniature army. Danny had to beat her up and use the Ghost Dream Catcher to take out any ghostly remanence inside any of his classmates. When school hours were over (not that Danny had attended it at all) he and his friends went on patrol. Youngblood was terrorizing some elementary schoolers at the park, and they found Kitty and Johnny 13, who were just going on a date. They promised not to cause any trouble, so they left them alone.

Sam was mostly silent. She and Danny kept exchanging awkward glances, and Tucker tried to keep the attitude light and happy. He was doing a good job of keeping the two of them distracted from the tension. Danny was sure that Tucker knew what had happened between him and Sam since he didn’t question the extra tension.

At the end of patrol, however, they ended up being alone together anyway. Tucker’s house was the closest, so he was dropped off first. He was hesitant to leave them alone, but he knew it was necessary. The two of them _did_ need a moment alone to talk.

They walked side by side down the sidewalk for ten silent minutes, glancing at each other awkwardly. When they finally reached Sam’s house, the goth turned to Danny with a sigh.

“Look, Danny, I’m sorry—"

“You don’t have to do that,” Danny said. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

Sam looked at him, her head tilted to the side slightly and concern written all over her face. “Yes, we do, Danny.”

“You said we’d stop talking about it after—"

“I know,” Sam said, holding her hands up to cut him off. “I know, Danny, but _please._ Just let me get this off my chest.”

Danny scuffed his foot into the ground reluctantly. But he couldn’t say no. Despite everything, Sam was one of his best friends. “Okay...”

“I’m sorry,” Sam said again. “I really, really am sorry. I was out of line completely. Vlad is your soulmate, whether I like it or not. And I don’t want to be the one that takes away your happiness. So I won’t be.”

“Do you...” Danny hesitated. “Do you still have the book?”

“Yes,” Sam said. She pulled her spider backpack off her shoulders and unzipped it, pulling said book out and handing it over to Danny. “Vlad probably wants this back, right? You told him?”

Danny sighed, looking away guiltily. He took the book from her hands and put it away in his own backpack. “Yeah. I did.”

“That’s okay. I kind of expected you to, anyway. You're very loyal and honest, and I guess you kind of have to be like that with Vlad now, too." Sam said, placing a hand on Danny’s shoulder. He looked up at her, meeting her violet eyes with his ocean blues. “I really am sorry, Danny. You’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’re not losing me,” Danny said, pulling Sam into a tight hug. “You’re my best friend, too. I... I forgive you, as long as you don’t keep doing this.”

Sam chuckled, hugging him back just as tight and smiling over his shoulder. “I still don’t like Vlad, but I’ll try not to hate him so much, okay? You like him, and I trust you. So that’s gotta mean something, right?”

Danny pulled back from the hug. Sam was still smiling. “He’s really different now. I swear. He was mad about the book when I told him, but I didn’t even have to convince him to forgive you. He just said he wanted the book back, and everything would be alright.”

“That does seem... nice of him,” Sam said, looking down at the ground as she slung her backpack back on. “Tell him I’m sorry, okay?”

“Yeah, of course.” Danny nodded.

“Good,” Sam said. The front of the house opened, and Sam’s mom poked her head out, calling her to hurry inside and stop hanging out with ‘that boy.’ “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Danny.”

“Yeah, see you.” Danny laughed, quickly turning and speedwalking away so he wouldn’t get yelled at by Sam’s mom. That woman could be scary when she wanted to be. But still not as scary as Danny’s own mom, who would be pissed if he didn’t show up before curfew, so he might as well hurry along anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone else read that webcomic The Titan's Bride? Because o h m y g a w d it's so good.

**Author's Note:**

> AHH! I still can’t believe I wrote this. Please tell me what you guys think! It’ll help me a lot when it comes to working on their personalities. Also if you see an "//" in any of my chapters, let me know so I can fix that. They're not supposed to be there.


End file.
